Black Star
by Batwoman
Summary: The team is worried that the new woman General Stockwell brought in is there to be their new handler.  Not all is as it seems with her, she's hiding secrets, along with Stockwell.  What are her secrets and how do they affect the team?  FINAL CHAPTER IS UP
1. Chapter 1

Title: Black Star  
>Author: Batwoman<br>Rating: T - Het

Timeline: Takes place after season 5, this is more of a 6th season episode.

Thanks to my beta, Periwinkle for your work!

Feed Back: always welcome. : ) Either onlist or email: aaaahbatwomanrun yahoo . com (no spaces)

Archived: , LJ

Disclaimer: I don't own Face, BA, Murdock, Hannibal, Stockwell, the Abels and anyone else I'm forgetting. I'm just playing with them and will put them back unscathed when I'm done.

Author's Notes: The idea for this fic came me to me one day while watching random season 5 episodes last year. I'm an original fan of the show and had only seen one or two episodes in recent years. Last year's movie sparked my curiosity to see if this was online and it was! So I started watching episodes on random order, mostly ones I remembered, didn't remember, etc. I don't know how many times I watched each episode before I finally started with the pilot and went in order. All while writing this fic. It is finished and I'll post it in parts not sure how often since this is a busy time for me at church. There are other stories in this universe but they are put on the back burner until further notice. Enjoy!

Description: The team is worried that the new woman General Stockwell brought in is there to be their new handler. Not all is as it seems with her, she's hiding secrets, along with Stockwell. What are her secrets and how do they affect the team?

**1988**

It was a cold day in early February when the team walked into the house followed closely by General Stockwell. They were griping about their last mission as they walked into the family room. Hannibal was the first to spot the woman sleeping on the couch. Her clothes, shoes, hands and arms were dirty and her hair was strewn across her face, hiding it from the world. "What have I told you about your poor security," Hannibal said, turning to face Stockwell. "A dirty homeless person waltzed right in and has made herself at home."

"I've been expecting her," Stockwell said as he sat on the couch and brushed her hair back, revealing her face. He placed a hand on her back and said, "Wake up, Briana."

Without moving a muscle she said, "I'm not homeless. And this isn't dirt it's ink, I work for a newspaper. "

"What time did you get here?" Stockwell asked.

"What time is it now?" she replied.

He glanced at his watch and said, "4:00."

"2:00," she said, finally opening her eyes. "I came straight from work, I came in, put my things in the bathroom and then fell asleep."

"Wait a minute, she isn't moving in here, is she? And just who is she anyway?" Face asked.

"Gentlemen this is Briana Stockwell, she won't be moving in but she is going to be working with you," General Stockwell said. The team loudly protested the announcement; Stockwell stood up from the couch and quieted the men. "She's not going to go on missions with you, think of her as your accountant and personal assistant."

"Within reason," Briana, said pushing herself to a sitting position on the couch. "You are not going to take advantage of me."

"If she's not moving in then why are her things in the bathroom?" Frankie asked.

"Because Frankie, my father and I are going out for dinner, since he wanted me to come here to meet you before hand I thought I'd save myself some time by taking a shower and getting ready here." She slowly stood from the couch, "If you'll excuse me, I need to take a shower."

"Take your time, we have a lot to talk about here," Hunt said.

She covered her mouth as a big yawn overtook her, nodding in response as she walked towards the bathroom.

Murdock had been standing to the side, watching the events unfold with interest. His gaze followed the woman as she walked away; he easily recognized that tired stride and decided to make a pot of coffee, figuring she'd appreciate a cup once her shower was finished.

"What is this Stockwell, more baby sitters?" Hannibal grumbled once she was out of earshot.

"Not at all," he said as he sat down in the wingback chair. "I'm simply trying to better control the money you men are spending."

"Great, so we're getting a den mother," Face said.

"You can still continue doing what you please, but Briana will now be signing the checks and paying the bills."

As the talk escalated Murdock slipped out of the room and wandered into the kitchen to prepare a pot of coffee. General Stockwell noticed Murdock slipping out and silently excused himself from the discussion to get a glass of water. He watched as Murdock went about making coffee.

Murdock turned around to find General Stockwell standing in the kitchen. "General," he nervously said. "Ah, uh… Briana looked like she could use a cup of coffee."

It pleased Hunt to see one of the team was open and receptive to his daughter. "Thank you Captain, she will appreciate it. Bree takes her coffee with cream and sugar." He reached into the upper cupboard next to the sink and withdrew a glass and filled it with water. Without saying another word, Stockwell walked out of the kitchen once his glass was filled.

Once Hunt was out of the room, Murdock let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Suddenly feeling nervous around General Stockwell, Murdock stayed in the kitchen while the coffee brewed. Less than 10 minutes later Murdock walked to the hall bathroom with the mug in hand. He stood silent, listening to the sounds for a moment before knocking.

"I thought you told me to take my time, dad," Briana teased as she opened the door. "Oh, Captain Murdock," she said holding the towel around her body.

The sight took Murdock aback; when he first saw her on the couch he didn't give much thought to what she looked like. But standing in front of him, loose chestnut brown curls lying damp across her shoulders, her skin freshly scrubbed and slightly pale, he found her attractive. "Ah.. uh.. thought you might like a cup of coffee," he said, holding the mug out to her.

She smiled at him as she accepted the mug, "Thank you." After taking a sip she gave him another smile and said, "it's perfect, thank you."

"You're welcome," he said, pausing a moment before turning to join his friends.

Briana closed the door and went back to getting ready for dinner with her father. Some time later Briana walked into the family room feeling human again. "I'm ready," she said, placing her bag on the floor.

"It's about ti…" Face stopped as he turned to face her. She wore a red dress that accentuated her toned body, in matching heels with her hair pulled up. Face quickly stood from his seat and hurried to greet her with a smile. "I trust you found everything you needed."

"Down boy. Even if I didn't have plans with my father, I wouldn't go out with you, you're not my type," she said, giving him a dazzling smile. "Besides, you didn't seem so interested earlier." She turned on her heel and walked to the kitchen, needing to put the mug in the sink.

Frankie walked up to Face and clasped his shoulder, "That's harsh, man," he said.

Face glared at his housemate and sullenly walked out of the room. It was a big kick to his ego to be rejected, and worse when it was so badly.

Briana walked back into the family room where her father stood holding her bag, ready to go. She linked her arm with her father's and together they walked to the hall closet where Hunt held out her coat for Brian to slip her arms into. Once she had the coat buttoned, she once again linked her arm with his and they went out the front door.

3 weeks later….

Briana leaned against the kitchen counter of the safe house as she waited for the fresh pot of coffee she set to finish brewing. The team had come back from a mission the day before and the more they worked with General Stockwell, the more they wondered if they would ever see their pardons. While the others were out enjoying the day off, Hannibal decided to stay at the safe house, wanting to talk to Briana in the hopes of getting some answers.

He walked in to find her sipping the hot brew. "Tell me something, are we really going to get our pardons or is your old man jerking us around?"

Briana studied the older man a moment; she understood his concerns and frustration better than he knew. "You'll get your pardons," she finally replied.

"When?"

"I don't know," she said, walking to the table and sitting down at the nearest chair. "Pour yourself a cup and join me. I have answers that you've been wanting for the past year." She waited until Hannibal settled across the table from her with his mug before beginning the explanation. "In 1985 things were beginning to change in the world. Between the war in the Middle East and the president's plan to end the cold war, the US government was concerned they would need something more than what they had for security. A group was quietly formed to figure out what they could do to secure the country's safety that was different than the organizations we already had. My dad wasn't part of the original group but he knew people within it. He made it a point to keep close tabs on the discussions, not trusting the group. When talks of forming a secret group of what boiled down to, assassins, started that's when he stepped in. He fought tooth and nail against it, and managed to talk them into changing their original plan. It wasn't easy and it took time, but all his hard work finally paid off.

"It seemed changing the committee's mind was the easy part, now my dad had to figure out how he was going to pull it off. He searched all active military personnel; members of the various espionage groups and even various local law enforcement officers but none of them fit the bill. Then one day your names crossed his deck. He kept an eye on you, reading up on your missions in Nam and your exploits while you were on the run. Your team was exactly what he was looking for, now all he had to do was secure full pardons and reinstatements for all of you. It seemed convincing the committee to change their original plan was the easy part."

"While he worked on your pardons he formulated a plan to acquire your team. No sooner had the ink dried on your pardons, than he set the plan on motion. The problem was, officially none of this existed, the committee, the plan… none of it. Unofficially you were burned and are a top secret black ops group that continues to do the kind of work you did on the run, only on a global scale along with the proper funding and with Decker, Lynch and anyone else the Army wants to send your way, off your heels."

Hannibal mulled the information over for a few moments, he didn't like the feeling of being used, but at least the Army wasn't chasing them and they were going to be cleared. "And just what is your part in all this?"

"What my father said, accountant and personal assistant. For your team that is. I also help my dad out doing research. To be honest my dad's reasons for having me work for him are purely selfish. My hours at the paper were tough; I started at midnight most days and often worked weeks and occasionally months without a day off. Now I have a more regular schedule and my life returns to normal." _'Or what passes for normal,'_ she thought.

"So just how long are we going to be working for your dad before we get our pardons?"

"I honestly don't know. But I do know you will get them."

"Why hasn't Stockwell told us this?"

"He can't. And as far as anyone's concerned, I didn't tell you either." Briana looked at her watch; she had things to do that weren't going to get done over coffee talk. "If you'll excuse me Colonel, I need to get back to my work."

6 months later….

Briana sat at her desk in the study going over paperwork while Murdock kept her company, sitting in the chair opposite the desk. "Oh come on now, just come outside for a few minutes."

"Murdock," she sighed. "Why are you so determined to drag me out there? Hannibal doesn't care for me, and I'd rather not bring down their little party just by being there."

"Because, you're my friend, an' Hannibal's my friend an' Ah just know Hannibal will accept you, but you need to spend time with him so he can get to know you like Ah do."

Briana smiled at Murdock, the two had become friends over the past six months and they occasionally spent time together outside of the safe house, away from the team. "At least come out an' have dinner with me," he said.

Murdock had a way of breaking down her resolve, "OK fine, I'll go," she said, rising from her chair.

Murdock smiled at the victory and excitedly leapt from the chair, grinning broadly as they walked out of the room.

About a half hour later Murdock and Briana sat in the patio chairs closer to the house. Briana felt it was best so as not to make anyone feel uncomfortable with her presence there. Their dirty plates in the kitchen, the pair sat with their drinks, chatting while the others entertained their latest dates.

The patio door opened and General Stockwell stepped out, followed by his assistant. "Gentleman, Bree," he gave his daughter a smile.

The men groaned at the sight of their boss, "Oh come on, we just got back two days ago," Face groused.

"I'm sorry but something's come up, something that needs your talents," he turned to face his daughter and said, "And yours, Briana."

"Me?" she asked, shocked that her father was including her in mission. Needing to talk to him in private, Briana stood from her chair. "Dad," she said, motioning for him to follow her inside the house. Hunt followed his daughter, closing the door, not wanting the others to hear their conversation. He knew what his daughter wanted to talk about, and he knew she wanted to do it in private.

They stood in the family room; "You know I don't do that kind of work anymore."

"I know Bree, but I have no choice. You're the only one Prince Gudmand trusts. I wouldn't ask if there was another way. The Prince won't trust the team on my word alone. His son was kidnapped and he wants Dieter's safe and quiet return."

Briana struggled with the information her father just gave her. She knew what he said was true, but it pained her to think about having to revert back to her former life. Hunt wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug.

Murdock stole a glance into the patio doors, watching as Hunt pulled her into a hug. He saw the hurt and struggle etch her face as she rested her chin on her father's shoulder.

"If I do this you're the one that's going to tell mom about it," she said, still in his embrace.

Hunt smiled and said, "I already have. We had a long talk about it today."

"So that's why you're here so late," she teased.

He planted a kiss on her temple, "She wasn't happy about it, but ultimately she understood."

She took a deep shaky breadth relaxing in her father's embrace. "Fine, I'll do it."

"Thank you."

Murdock stepped aside as Briana and Hunt walked through the patio doors. The party guests slipped through the doors, followed by Hunt's assistant. "What's going on here Stockwell? We're perfectly capable of going on this mission without Briana," Hannibal asked.

"No, you cant, Colonel," Briana said. "Prince Gudmand's son was kidnapped and he trust's me, but he won't trust you alone. Not even if my dad vouches for you. I have to go on this mission."

"Why do I get the feeling there's more to this story than you're telling?" Hannibal asked.

"Because I used to be a CIA agent and I saved his life when one of his trusted aides tried to kill him. He wasn't working alone either."

"I'm not going on a mission with someone that couldn't cut it in the CIA," Hannibal said.

"You've got that wrong, Colonel. I was with the paper for three years, but I was with the CIA for 10 years."

The team was shocked, "But that means you were…" Face said.

"14 when they 'recruited me', 'kidnapped' was more like it." She began to fidget, seemingly nervous, but in reality she began to feel uncomfortable in her own skin. The last time Briana felt this way was after she left the CIA, when her father helped her break their hold on her. Hunt placed a comforting hand on her arm, hoping to calm her nerves. "I wasn't the only one… we were the sons and daughters of select CIA agents, 'legacies' they called us." She paused a moment, trying to decide what exactly she wanted to share with the team. "They called it 'The Black Star Project.' We were essentially highly trained assassins; the CIA's answer to Delta Force…." She took a deep, shaky breath and said, "I can't do this." She turned and ran through the patio doors, needing to get out of the house and away from the team.

"She doesn't like to talk about it," Hunt explained.

"Ah'll go after her," Murdock said as he ran through the patio doors. "Bree wait," he called after her.

Hannibal didn't like what he heard, he glared at Stockwell and said, "You let them take your kid and do God knows what to her?"

"Listen to me Smith, I'm only going to say this once. I didn't _let_ them do anything; they took her without my knowledge or consent. I tried to get her back but there was nothing I could do. Now, we leave at 0500 hours tomorrow, I'll have a car pick you up and bring you to my plane." He turned on his heel and walked through the patio doors, through the house and out the front door.

The team sat speechless; suddenly they had a better understanding of their handler and his daughter. The distrust they had was slowly melting away to become understanding and sympathy. Their party now over, the team set about cleaning up the backyard and house before packing their bags and preparing for their next mission.

Murdock stared out of the passenger window as Briana drove her convertible in silence. She enjoyed driving with the top down on nice days, especially so when she had things on her mind. The wind whipping through her hair usually helped to clear her mind. Tonight she needed something more; she drove to the beach remembering how soothing it was after she left the CIA.

When they arrived at the beach, Briana brought the top up on her car and locked up the vehicle before they went for a walk. Murdock dug his hands deep in his pants pockets as he kept pace with his friend. "Why didn't you tell me, Briana?"

"Because I don't like to talk about it." 

"Not even with friends?"

"I don't have any friends."

Murdock stepped in front of her and placed his hand on her arms. He looked her in the eyes and said, "You're wrong, we're friends! An' BA's your friend, an' Face an' Frankie an' an' even Hannibal."

She looked down and away and said, "I'm sorry, I haven't had a friend in years, I forgot what it felt like to have friends. The CIA took part of my life and I can never get it back."

"What did they do to you?" At her silence he said, "Hey come on, you can tell me. Ah'll understand."

"One summer day someone from the CIA came over to our house and told me I needed to pack a bag and go with them. Since my dad was CIA at the time I didn't think anything of it. None of us did. They kept us in seclusion for the first few months, while they tested us and began the programming. They used sensory deprivation on us, held us in a windowless building without so much as a calendar. We were at their mercies they told us when it was night, morning, when it was time to eat and when it was time to sleep. We weren't allowed to see anyone outside the facility."

"Did Trigoran have anything to do with this?"

"Uncle Ivan? No, in fact he helped my dad try to stop the program. But there was nothing they could do. The strain became too much for my parents and my mom divorced my dad. She blamed what happened to me on him and said he didn't do enough to free me. I know he did his best. When I was finally able to see my parents they told me all about it. When the CIA was ready to let us out, they paired us up with people that could pass as parents. Our partners continued our training while we were on assignments. At 18 we were partnered with our final partners. The ones we spent the rest of our time at the agency with."

"Project Black Star's failure was our programming. You see they programmed us to ignore the pain, to fight through it until the threat was over. The problem with that was we would push on until it was too late. Of the twelve of us that were in the program, five total died - the last one was my partner." She turned away from Murdock and looked out onto the water. "We were sent on a suicide mission, I guess it was the CIA's way of dealing with their failure. I don't think we ever stood a chance really. Come to think about it, I don't think I even knew what the mission was. I just know we were captured and tortured. They did things to both of us. Danny was the lucky one; he died before we were rescued. After he died, they kept up the torture with me." Tears began to fall down her cheeks as she looked out onto the water.

Murdock had a sinking feeling when he heard about the torture. "Did they rape you?" At her silence he stood in front of her saw the tears and said, "Bree…" She merely nodded, unable to say the word. Murdock pulled her into his embrace and held her as she wept. He comforted her as long as she needed it.

When her tears finally stopped, Briana remained in Murdock's embrace, relishing the feel of his arms around her. She didn't have the luxury of dating while she was with the CIA, and Briana didn't think about it during her time with the paper. But now that she had been away from the CIA for five years she was finally starting to feel like a normal human being again. Briana enjoyed her time with Murdock, as she found his goofy behavior endearing.

"Who rescued you?" Murdock asked.

"My dad. He gave me a homing device to be used in extreme emergencies only, after I was partnered with Danny. He was worried something bad would happen to me, to us. I don't remember much of the rescue but while I was recovering, my dad and I talked and I told him I wanted out. He helped me get out of the CIA and once I was better, he helped me get reprogrammed. Not fully, I still have all my memories and training, just enough to…. Take the edge off."

"If you've been reprogrammed then what are you gonna to do on this mission?"

"They set safe guards in my reprogramming, triggers that when I see or hear in the right combination, the edge is back. I don't know what they are exactly; I just know what to avoid in order to not accidentally trigger the edge. That's why I can't watch certain kinds of movies."

"Is that why you wouldn't see _Days of Thunder_ with me?"

Smiling, Briana rested her head on his shoulder and replied, "No, it just looked stupid."

"Stupid? Ah'll have you know that _Days of Thunder_ was a cinematic masterpiece…"

Briana cut off his playful rant, "Murdock…."

"You were right, it was stupid." Briana couldn't help but laugh at his revelation. Murdock was pleased to hear his friend laugh; he imagined that didn't happen much when she thought about her time with the CIA. "Listen to me Briana, Ah don't want you to doin' anythin' that will hurt you."

"I'll be fine Murdock."

"But you'll be different."

Briana thought about what he was saying and realized he was afraid of the changes that the CIA programming had on her. She pulled back from the embrace and fixed Murdock with a serious look. "Murdock, the programming will be reset once the mission is over. Don't worry. My dad made sure the reprogramming could be reset if I ever had to revert back, so to speak."

Despite her reassurances, Murdock had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach; he worried something bad was going to happen to her. "Have you ever done this before?"

"No, but my dad made sure to get all the notes and everything else the CIA had on Project Black Star, when he had it shut down. That way he could make sure no one tried to resurrect the Black Star Project again. Plus he knew exactly what they did to us and how to counteract it."

"Why not just reverse it?"

"The team that reprogrammed us doesn't know the programming as intimately as the CIA team does. And since my dad doesn't trust the CIA team, the new team felt it was better to simply reprogram us. It would take years for them to reverse what the CIA did to us. We already lost enough; we all agreed the cost was too much. So they figured out how to reprogram us allowing for triggers in case of emergencies." Tired of talking about the Black Star Project, Briana steered Murdock to turn around and said, "Come on, I need something to drink, there's a good lemonade stand over there." She pointed towards the vendor stands opposite from the ocean.

It was close to midnight when Briana wearily walked into her spacious apartment. She and Murdock had left the beach at dusk and went to his apartment where they talked for a few more hours. Deciding she needed time alone before transforming back to a Black Star, Briana declined Murdock's offer to spend the night and drove home to her apartment. Too tired to walk to her bedroom, she sank down onto the couch and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning Briana groaned as the phone rang, waking her. She glanced out the windows and saw it was still dark out. Briana wondered who was calling her at that hour. Sitting up on the couch, she forgot how stiff sleeping on it made her. She stretched as she made her way to the kitchen to answer the phone. "Yeah?" She croaked.

"Is that any way to answer the phone when your father's calling?" Hunt teased.

"When he wakes me up at," she said squinting at the clock on the wall. She blinked several times to clear her eyesight unsure she read the time correctly. "4:15? What possessed you to call me at this hour?"

Hunt chuckled; he enjoyed this side of her. "I'm calling because we're leaving in just under an hour."

"You're evil, you know that?"

"I'll see at 5:00. I love you."

"Yeah well, don't expect me to reciprocate that right now."

"I'll see you at 5."

"Yeah, sure." They said their goodbyes and Briana hung up the phone. Making her way to the bathroom for a hot shower, Briana hoped the heat would loosen the knots in her muscles. She hated taking hot showers in the summer but she was too stiff from a night on the couch not to. The former CIA agent moved slowly as she packed her bags for her trip; she was in no hurry to transform back to a Black Star. She no longer carried weapons and knew her father would provide the team with all the munitions they would need.

Once she was packed, Briana locked up her apartment, slid behind the wheel of her car and drove to the private airstrip her father used for his plane.

During the flight to Denmark as BA sat slumped over in a chair, unconscious. The rest of the A-Team stole glances at their new temporary teammate as they played cards to keep busy during the flight. They were concerned about their safety, none more so than Hannibal. The team leader wondered just what the CIA did to the young woman. Stockwell didn't give up any information after Briana left last night, and Murdock didn't offer anything when he arrived at the safe house that morning.

Briana quietly sat by herself, curled up in a ball on one of the couches, a pair of headphones plugged into the stereo. She listened to classical music to help relax her before she had to transform back into her former self. Murdock joined her on the couch, silently offering his support by placing a hand on her knee. When she turned to look at him, he gave her a reassuring smile. Briana gave him a small smile, knowing it would help ease his mind even if she didn't feel like smiling.

"Tell me something, Stockwell," Hannibal said, pushing himself up from the chair and walking towards Hunt's desk. "Will she pose a threat to my men?"

"No. She poses a threat to herself." Having heard this, Face and Frankie turned to look at Stockwell, curious what he meant. "When the fighting starts, Briana will keep pushing and won't stop until the threat is over."

Hannibal chewed on his cigar as he mulled over what General Stockwell just said. "So what you're saying is, she could potentially die if we come under heavy fire."

Hunt Stockwell swallowed hard, he hated thinking about it but faced that reality when his only child was in the clutches of the CIA. "Yes," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

Hannibal took in a sharp breath and glanced over at Briana. The more he learned about her, the more he hated what the CIA did to her. "Understood."

Later as the plane made its final approach Stockwell briefed the team. "The men responsible for the kidnapping are the same ones that tried to kill the Prince…"

Briana sat up straight and sharply turned to face her father, "That's impossible," she said.

Hannibal turned in his seat to face the young woman, "What makes you say that?"

"Because my partner and I made sure they couldn't threaten the Prince again." At the team's questioning looks she added, "We killed all of them."

"If those guys are all dead, then who is behind this?" Face asked.

"Whoever they are, my intel has no other information, just that they were the ones that tried to kill the Prince."

A cold chill suddenly ran down Briana's spine, "This is a trap," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"What makes you say that?" Hunt asked.

"You said it yourself, I'm the only one the Prince trusts. These guys know that and are using Dieter to get to me."

"You didn't know anything about this?" Hannibal asked Hunt.

"He couldn't have. The only people that have access to our files are the Black Stars, and the Director of the CIA. Our former handlers had access to those files when we were with the agency. But when the Black Star Project was shut down, they were stripped of their duties and kept under lock and key so they couldn't try that again."

"Is there anything in your report that can help us here?" Face asked.

"No, and even if there was, I'd need first person access to the file. Which means I'd have to go to Langley."

"Ok then, do you have any ideas who could be behind this?" Hannibal asked.

Briana shook her head, "If I'm right and they want revenge then it could be someone close to the people we killed. Regardless, whoever's behind this is expecting my partner and me. They don't know Danny's dead or that you'll be with me."

When the plane came to a stop the team stood from their seats and stretched their stiff muscles. General Stockwell was sitting at his desk reaching for a file he had stashed in a drawer when Hannibal walked up to the desk. Hannibal quietly said Stockwell's name, wanting to speak with the man before they parted ways. Hunt looked up and handed the file out towards Hannibal.

"What's this?" Hannibal asked as he reached for the file.

"This isn't for you," Hunt said as Briana grabbed the file from her father's hand. The men watched as she walked back to her seat and placed the file on the couch before opening the compartment under the couch, removing a briefcase from it.

"I've been thinking about Briana and what the CIA did to her. They programmed her, didn't they?"

"Yes," Hunt replied.

"So what happened after she left?"

Hunt glanced at his daughter a moment before responding. "She was reprogrammed. Not fully, just…" 

"Enough to take the edge off," Murdock cut in.

Turning to face the team's pilot, Stockwell was surprised to hear Murdock knew of something regarding his daughter's past. "She told me about it last night," Murdock explained. Murdock turned to watch his friend as the men talked.

"The new programming allows for triggers for her to fully revert to her former self. The triggers are either audio, visual or both. In this case that file I gave her contains the images she'll need to trigger her programming." Anticipating Hannibal's next question, Hunt said, "It can be reset after the mission." Hannibal nodded and set about gathering his things to deplane.

Briana waited as the team departed the plane, even watching as Face and Frankie helped a groggy B.A. off the plane. She wanted to speak with her father in private, needing his reassurance one last time before stepping off the airplane. "How long will you be staying?" she asked, placing her bag and briefcase on the floor.

"I'll be here through your mission."

Briana looked at her father confused, "Since when do you wait out a mission?" 

"Since you are going back into the field. I want to be here in case the team needs further assistance. Don't worry, I'll stay out of your way. Your mother is flying out to spend some time with me," he said, smiling.

Smiling Briana said, "How long has it been since you and mom had a vacation?"

"Too long." Hunt reached into the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a watch. He handed it to his daughter and said, "Now go, they're waiting for you."

She glanced at the time piece and said, "Tracking device?"

"Yes," he said, making his way around the desk. He pulled her into a tight embrace and said, "Be careful sweetheart."

"As careful as I can be. Don't worry, I have the best team a person could ask for watching my back." She planted a kiss on his cheek before leaving his embrace. Briana gathered her things and stepped off the plane.

But worry he did. He remembered all too well all the times he sat beside her bedside holding her bandaged hand while she was hooked up to life saving machines. Each time a mission left her clinging to life in the hospital, Hunt would leave her bedside and make his way to Langley and have a very loud discussion about the Black Star Project. There were times when he thought he would have been better off yelling at a brick wall. It took time and hard work but he was finally able to get the project shut down. All it took was meeting with the right people to do so.

Hunt walked to the door and looked down, watching as Murdock smiled at his daughter as she approached the waiting limousine. Her returning smile did not go unseen by Hunt. He smiled; he could see the friendship was turning into a romance, even if they didn't see it.

Later at the palace, once all introductions were made, dinner plans set, the team went to their quarters to settle in before dinner. Briana was in her room, unpacking when there was a knock at the door. Walking to the armoire with her bag, Briana asked who was at the door.

"It's me, uh, Murdock," came the reply.

Smiling Briana walked to the door and opened it, letting her friend in. When Murdock walked in, Briana closed the door and took in his appearance. He wore his usual khaki pants, Converse tennis shows, comical t-shirt, ball cap and bomber jacket. "Aren't you going to get ready for dinner with the Prince?"

Murdock was confused. "What do you mean?"

"We're having dinner with the Prince of Denmark, you need to dress up more."

Murdock looked down at his clothes and said in his usual child-like way, "What's wrong with what Ah'm wearin'?"

"Well you at least need to put on a suit."

"A suit? I didn't bring any suits with me."

"Murdock! How could you go on a mission where you're meeting a Prince and not bring a suit?"

He shrugged, "Ah just thought Ah'd wear what Ah always wear. What are you gonna wear?"

Rolling her eyes, Briana turned and walked to the armoire, opening it and pulling out a dark blue dress. She turned back around to find Murdock grinning like a loon. "What?" she asked.

"Ah was just kiddin': Ah brought a suit."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, "That wasn't funny."

"Yes it was."

She glared at him and shook her head. "Oh come on that was funny and you know it. What's wrong?"

"Sorry, I'm just feeling on edge," she said, walking to the bed. She sighed as she sank down, tossing the dress onto the bed.

Murdock grew serious, concern clouded his expressive eyes, spotting the folder on the bed he asked, "Did you already… you know…"

"Did I what?" she asked, confused.

"You know… That," he said, pointing to the folder.

Briana looked in the direction that he was pointing and said, "Oh. No, not yet. I'm just feeling edgy right now."

"Edgy or scared?" he asked, walking to the bed, sitting down next to her.

She took a deep, shaky breath and quietly said, "scared."

Murdock wrapped his arms around her and drew her into his embrace. "Hey it'll be all right, you'll be safe with us."

Briana snaked her arms around him, resting her head on Murdock's shoulder. "I hope you're right," she murmured in a shaky voice.

Murdock planted a kiss on her forehead and said, "Ah like you and Ah won't let anythin' happen to you."

"Promise?"

"Ah promise!" Briana snuggled deeper into his embrace as she fought to keep her tears at bay. It wasn't transforming back that scared her; it was what might happen to her while under the program's influence that terrified her. "How long will it take you to change back to a Black Star?"

"The transformation is instant."

"When are you gonna to do it?"

Taking a deep cleansing breath she said, "Before dinner. It'll help me relax."

"Well then, Ah'll be right here with you."

Briana pulled back from the embrace and at looked at her friend, "No. This is something I need to do by myself."

"Why, is somethin' bad gonna happen?"

"No, it's just something I need to do by myself. Like changing for dinner."

"You mean Ah can't watch you change either?"

Briana smiled and said, "Out, Captain."

Murdock stood and pouting said, "Oh all right," as he walked toward the door.

"Murdock," she said, getting his attention before he stepped out the door. "I like you too." 

Murdock gave her a big grin and said, "Ah already knew that."

She couldn't help but smile, "Oh I almost forgot. When this is over I'm going to have to leave for a while."

His smile faded and he said, "Why?"

"To have the programming reset."

"How long is it gonna take?"

"I don't know; this is the first time I've done this."

Murdock looked down and said, "Oh," as he turned back to leave.

"I'll, ah, be ready for dinner in a half hour if you want to walk down to dinner with me."

Murdock's smile returned and said, "Ah'll be here."

Later that night after dinner, the team went back to their rooms to get ready for bed. The long flight had left everyone tired. Briana decided to go for a walk in the gardens to help clear her head. Her transformation was noticeable to the team as the normally approachable woman was cold, distant and professional. Hannibal had kept a close eye on her, concerned about the dramatic and stark change in her personality. Later that night Hannibal stepped out onto the balcony of his suite with a cigar and lighter in hand. Just as he put the flame to the tip of his cigar Hannibal spotted Briana in the gardens. Deciding to check up on her, Hannibal made his way through the castle and down to the garden.

Briana stood in the garden with her arms wrapped around herself as she stared at the roses. Without warning and moving with lighting fast speed, she spun around, gun in hand and fixed her visitor with an icy cold glare, greeting him with the muzzle of her gun.

"Whoa, easy kid, it's just me," Hannibal said, holding his hands up.

"Never sneak up on me, Colonel!" she warned, slowly lowering her weapon.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you," he said.

"It's dangerous to sneak up on me when I'm like this," she said.

"Noted," he said as he put the cigar between his teeth and began to light it.

"So tell me something Colonel, did you come here to check up on me?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I was just out for a stroll before bed?"

"Any other time I might."

"Well then I won't try to convince you that I came out here for a stroll."

"To answer your question, I'm fine. I just needed to clear my head before I go to bed."

"Well then, mind if I join you?"

"If you want," she shrugged. Briana returned her attention to the roses.

Hannibal puffed away on his cigar until Briana was ready to go back to her suite. He stamped the cigar out on the bottom of his shoe and turned to walk back to the castle with her.

That night Briana fell into a restless sleep, she tossed and turned, unable to relax and just fall asleep. Visions of what might happen on this mission plagued her dreams.

Early the next morning Murdock stood outside of Briana's suite. He contemplated knocking on the door to wake her, but decided to let her sleep in. The rest of their stay would be more casual than the night before. The team wouldn't be sharing any more meals with the royal family; instead they would have more relaxed meals in the kitchen. The men were in the kitchen formulating their plan for the day when Briana walked in.

"So, what's the plan Hannibal?" Briana asked as she walked to the coffee pot.

"Good morning to you too," Hannibal said.

"Sorry, programming," she mumbled.

"We're going to go into town and follow up on some leads that the guards have."

Briana nodded as she listened while drinking her coffee. "General Stockwell is staying in town. I'll secure more weapons and transportation."

The team noticed her detachment to her family; they each made a mental note to keep a close eye on her, concerned about the changes in her personality. "I'll help you Bree," Murdock offered.

Briana merely nodded in response.

"Ok, Murdock you help Briana while the rest of us see what we can find out about the kidnappers. We'll meet back here at…." Hannibal began, glancing at his watch. "2:00 that should give us plenty of time to take care of everything."

As the men filed out of the kitchen Briana sat down in a recently abandoned chair across from Murdock. She surveyed the remaining food on the table; there was a bowl of fruit, a few small pieces of cheese on a platter and a pastry. Murdock watched as she scanned the table and said, "Ah can make you somethin' to eat, if you want."

She thought it over a moment before saying, "Yes, thank you."

Murdock smiled and walked to the refrigerator, looking in to see what there was to eat or make. "Let's see, there's eggs, bacon… how 'bout an omelet?"

"That's fine."

Murdock grabbed a few ingredients before closing the refrigerator door. He set about making breakfast for his friend. Sensing that she would just sit silently for the rest of the day if she wanted, Murdock decided to start a conversation, hoping Briana would join him. "Ah've been thinkin'," he began as he chopped some vegetables. "When this is over, maybe you an' Ah could go out some time."

"We already go out."

"No, Ah meant on a date," he said as he cooked the omelet.

"Oh. Yes."

Murdock was pleased to hear his friend wanted to go out on a date with him, even though she wasn't her usual self. Deciding to wait to discuss date ideas until her reprogramming was back in place, Murdock changed the subject. "So what's your dad gonna do while we're on this mission?"

"General Stockwell is on vacation with Mrs. Stockwell."

Murdock turned away from the stove and looked at his friend, "Did your dad remarry?"

"He remarried his ex-wife."

"Oh, so your parents are back together. That's good," he said, smiling. "You must be happy about that."

"Yes."

She didn't sound happy but Murdock knew it was the programming. Or at least he hoped it was the programming. "Ah'd hate to bug your dad while he's takin' a vacation, though."

"He is staying in case we need his help."

When the food had finished cooking, Murdock plated it and carried the meal to the table. He placed the plate in front of Briana as he sat next to her. Murdock watched as she ate her food.

Feeling eyes on her, Briana swallowed and said, "It's delicious, thank you."

Murdock spent the rest of the meal trying to maintain a conversation with his friend. He found her detachment unsettling; he was starting to understand why Briana didn't like to talk about her time with the CIA. Murdock made a mental note to ask General Stockwell about it when they were picking up their supplies.

Later when the breakfast dishes were cleaned and put away, the pair made their way to the hotel that General Stockwell was staying at with his wife. Knowing the area as well as she did, Briana drove, allowing Murdock the opportunity to take in the scenery, learning his way around town. Just as before, Briana didn't speak unless spoken to. When they arrived at the hotel, Briana parked the car and the pair exited, making their way inside the building.

Murdock followed Briana like a lost puppy through the hotel. They made their way to the elevators and up to the fourth floor. Briana led the way down the hall to her parents' suite. Murdock leaned against the wall as Briana knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" came the voice of her father.

"Briana," was the clipped response.

Hunt opened the door dressed in white pajamas covered with a maroon robe, the belt cinched closed at his waist, smiling at his daughter. "Good morning Bree," he said, stepping aside to allow her entrance.

"General," she said, nodding as she walked past him, followed closely by Murdock.

Hunt's smile faded at his daughter's response. He immediately noticed the extreme change in her. "Your mother's sleeping," he said in a quiet voice. "So what can I do for you?"

"We came to get more weapons and transportation for the rescue."

"Oh? You've found him already?"

"No, the team is following up on leads."

"Understood. I'll make some calls and have everything ready for you to pick up later. But first," he said walking to her and placing a hand on her back. "Remember what I said before, call me 'Dad'," he murmured, rubbing her back in a soothing manner.

"Yes, General," she whispered.

"Dad, sweetheart, not General."

Briana closed her eyes and listened to the soothing sound of her father's voice; letting his ministrations wash over her. She took a deep cleansing breath, relaxing ever so slightly. "Dad," she murmured.

Hunt smiled and continued, "Good, now remember Murdock, Hannibal, Face, B.A. and Frankie are your friends." At her nod, he placed a kiss on her forehead and stepped back.

"General, can Ah speak with you in private?" Murdock asked.

Hunt turned to face the Captain and nodded, motioning him to follow Hunt to the balcony. Murdock leaned against the railing of the balcony, staring back inside the suite, and at his friend. "Was she like that before?"

Hunt stood next to Murdock and glanced at his daughter a moment before responding. "Yes," he said. "What exactly has she told you about her time with the CIA?" 

"Not much. Ah mean she told me the CIA took her when she was fourteen an' they used sensory deprivation to program her an' the others. Her first partner was someone that could pass as a parent, who continued her trainin' until she turned eighteen when she was partnered with Danny. She told me that Project Black Star's failure was their programin' because it made them ignore the pain until the danger passed. Their last mission was a suicide mission; they were tortured, Danny was killed an' you rescued her an' that you helped them get out an' get them reprogrammed."

Hunt nodded and said, "Believe it or not, Captain, you know quite a bit about her time with the CIA. Did she tell you she was raped during her last mission?"

"No, but I figured she was."

Hunt walked to the chair and sat down before answering Murdock's original question. "At first, yes, but it took time for me to break through her programming. Eventually Bree was more functioning when she was off-duty."

"Then why is she like that now?"

"I don't know. It could be because she's lived in virtual isolation since then and that she hasn't had any friends until recently." Hunt glanced back into the suite and spotted his wife talking to their daughter. He stood from the chair and said, "I've done what I can to break through the programming, hopefully this mission won't take long so she can return to normal soon."

Murdock glanced into the room and nodded his understanding. He dug his hands deep into his pants pockets and followed the General back into the hotel room.

"Bree, I'll call you when everything is ready," Hunt said.

"Thank you," she said.

Murdock watched his friend closely and could see a change in her, "Murdock, this is my mother," she said, throwing her friend from his thoughts.

"H. M. Murdock," he said extending his hand to the older woman.

She took his hand in hers and said, "It's nice to meet you."

"We need to go," Briana said. Murdock nodded and followed her out the room. 

As Briana navigated the streets of Aalborg, she decided to wander around town until their meeting with the rest of the team. The as a Black Star she hoped she would be able to lure the kidnappers out in the open. She parked the car along a side street and the pair strolled down the main street, browsing in the shops along the street.

The pair walked into a used bookstore Briana casually scanned the immediate area and said in a low voice, "We're being followed."

Murdock stuck close to her, still worried about his friend. "Are you sure?"

A book caught her eye and Briana was drawn to it like a beacon. She stared at the periodical suddenly finding herself lost in thought, which was something she wasn't used to in her current state of mind. When she didn't answer Murdock he looked at her and noticed the haunted look in her eyes. "You ok?" he asked. At her silence he remembered something he saw her father do earlier that morning. Murdock wrapped his arm around her, placing his hand on her arm. He rubbed her arm comfortingly and murmured, "Hey."

"What?" she asked, coming out of her mental fog.

"What's wrong?"

"This book, Danny was reading it before… On the flight to our last mission."

"What do you say we visit him when this is over? Just you an' me, Ah'll fly you where ever he's buried too." Briana nodded in response. "You said someone was followin' us. Are you sure?"

"Yeah, average-build man, mid-thirties with sandy brown hair wearing a black shirt, jeans and cowboy boots. He started following us two stores ago."

Murdock casually glanced around the store as if he was looking at the other sections when in reality he was scanning the room for their tail. "I see him," he said.

"We need to get out of here," she said, grabbing his arm and turning him around. "Do you know where the others are?" she asked as they quickly made their way out of the store.

"No," he replied.

"Damn," she swore under her breath. Once back on the street she snaked her arm around Murdock's waist, leaned into him and said, "Follow my lead, they don't know Danny's dead. Maybe we can convince him we're on vacation."

Murdock thought it over a moment as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "Oh, Ah get it. You want him to follow us so we can capture him an' interrogate him, right?"

"Yes." Briana took the lead and turned down the first street they approached. She kept an eye on their shadow out of the corner of her eye, as they wound their way down the historic streets of Aalborg.

Despite his incredible memory, Murdock was having a hard time keeping up with his companion's weaving pattern. He felt even more lost than he had before. They came to an abrupt stop by the water fountains and Briana maneuvered Murdock around so that he was facing the direction they just came from. Despite what she said earlier, Murdock was still surprised when Briana snaked her arms around his neck and kissed him. He never thought their first kiss would be like this. It certainly didn't feel romantic, despite the romance of being in such a historic city, next to the fountain in the center of town.

Her kiss was more mechanical than loving and that bothered Murdock. He wondered if it was a result of the programming or if she was like this when not under the influence of the CIA's program. Murdock pushed those concerns down - they hadn't been on their first date yet; there was plenty of time to learn how the other liked to be loved. Given what he'd learned about her past, Murdock had a feeling Briana would need a lot of help in that area. He made a promise to himself to treat her as delicately as one would handle a rose. "Is he still following us," he heard her say into his ear.

That was the first time Murdock opened his eyes since their lips touched. He did his best to make it appear that he was returning her affection as he peered under the brim of his hat to see if their shadow was still there. "Yeah," he said as he nuzzled her neck.

"I've got a plan," she said, pulling back. She smiled up at him and took his hand in hers, jogging down the street in search of someplace more private.

Murdock followed her lead, smiling as he kept in step with her, wondering what she had in mind. The pair ran around the corner and once they were sure their tail couldn't see them, Briana let go of Murdock's hand and began to pull her hair back and twist it around her finger. She reached for his hat and after setting her hair against her head, she said "Give me your jacket." She put his hat on, effectively hiding her hair.

Murdock looked around; spotting a doorway he pointed to it said, "Ah'll hide there." He quickly shed his jacket and held it out to Briana.

Briana nodded as she slipped her arms into the jacket and slowly began to walk down the street. She hoped their tail was using Murdock's jacket as a visual aid to keep the couple in his sight.

Hannibal had been walking down the street when he spotted the pair next to the fountains. They had been locked in an embrace like lovers and he rolled his eyes, now was not the time for games, he thought. Furious he chomped down on his cigar and began to go after them when he noticed the man following the pair. Hannibal suddenly realized they had spotted the tail and were luring him into a position so they could capture the man. Smith sped up his pace to keep up with the tail but made sure not to get too close. Once he was around the corner, Hannibal saw Murdock grappling with the younger man and raced to his side.

Hannibal discretely pulled out his gun and held it to the shadow's kidneys, giving it a poke for good measure. "Who's this?" he asked.

"That's what we'd like to know," Murdock said, still holding their captive.

"We need to get him some place more private so we can interrogate him," Briana said.

"Where's your car?" Hannibal asked.

"Next block over," Briana replied.

Murdock quirked an eyebrow at her response, "Ah'm glad you know where we are, because Ah'm lost."

"Good, lead the way," Hannibal said, pushing their captive forward. As they walked to the car, Hannibal made sure to stay close to their prisoner, never letting the younger man move away from the gun.

Once at the car Hannibal roughly pushed their prisoner into the back of the car. Briana knelt down and retrieved the gun she had strapped to her ankle. She held the gun on the man in the backseat as the trio talked, never taking her eyes off of him. "I'll meet you two back at the castle," Hannibal said, looking at his watch. "I'll rendezvous with the others in an hour."

"Sounds good," Briana said. As Hannibal turned to go back towards the fountains, Briana gave Murdock the gun and said, "You stay with him back here, I'll drive."

As she drove back to the castle, Murdock glanced out the windows always keeping an eye on their prisoner. "Why are you stoppin'?" Murdock asked.

"We never checked this guy for a tracking device or wire," she said right before exiting the car. Briana snatched open the back door and roughly pulled their captive out of the car. "Who are you working with?" she snarled in Danish.

"I'll never tell you scum," he spat.

"Your funeral," she said just before punching him, knocking him out cold.

Murdock stood wide-eyed as he saw the man drop with one punch. "Remind me not to make you mad."

Briana didn't say a word; she merely bent down and removed the man's cowboy boots, tossing them off to the side of the road. "What'd you do that for?" Murdock asked.

"He could be hiding a tracking device in his heel."

Her answer caused Murdock to pause and think a moment. Watching her search the prone body he asked, "Bree… did your dad give you a trackin' device for this mission?"

"Yes." When she finished her search, Briana stood up and said, "Put him in the trunk." Briana slid behind the wheel still wearing Murdock's hat and jacket, reaching down to pull the trunk release latch. Murdock lifted the hood of the trunk before turning to kneel down to pick up the prone figure of their shadow. He placed the man in the trunk before slamming it closed. Murdock dusted his hands off as he walked to sit beside Briana.

Back at the castle Briana led the way as Murdock urged their prisoner forward, poking him in the back with Briana's gun from time to time to make a point. The prisoner did not go quietly, he yammered on in Danish the entire walk. Briana ignored him but the constant chatter was beginning to take a toll on Murdock's nerves. As the small group made their way down a set of ancient stone stairs Murdock couldn't take it any longer and said, "Will you SHUT UP! You're givin' me a headache."

Once the trio reached the bottom of the stairs, they continued down the old stone corridor, passing several doors until finally coming to a stop at the end of the hall. She opened the door and Murdock shoved their prisoner in, knocking him down to his knees. Briana hung the key which she had grabbed at the foot of the steps, onto the hook just outside of the cell. She stepped in and grabbed a fistful of their prisoner's shirt and pulled him to his feet. She fixed him with an icy cold stare, feeling an overwhelming urge to wrap her hand around his neck and crush his windpipe.

Briana found herself struggling with her programming. For the first time in her life as a Black Star, Briana Stockwell didn't want to do what she was programmed to. She didn't know why but the urge to squeeze her hand around her prisoner's throat bothered her. Briana's left hand began to reach for her prisoner and that's when she shoved him to the back wall. She turned on her heel and stormed out, followed closely by Murdock. Closing and locking the door, Briana carried the key with them as they walked back to the stairs. She placed the key back on the hook as they continued on up, back to the main level of the castle.

"So what are you gonna do now?" Murdock asked as they ascended the stairs.

""Tell Hannibal to interrogate him, have a guard translate for you if need be."

"Why aren't you interrogatin' him?"

Briana paused a moment, once again struggling against her programming. There was a day when she would have answered, _"because I'll kill him before we find out where the boy is"'_, without hesitation, but for some unknown reason she didn't want to say it. "I need time alone," she finally replied.

Murdock wasn't sure but he thought he sensed a change in Briana. Her actions in the dungeon and her hesitation to his question made him wonder, was she fighting her programming? The pair ascended the stairs in silence. Once back in the main hall Murdock stopped Briana, passing her gun to her.

Briana accepted the pistol and knelt down to put it back in her ankle holster. She started to walk off towards her room when she paused a moment. Turning back to Murdock, she slid out of the bomber jacket and handed it back to her friend. She then removed the cap from her head and placed it on his head. The pair looked at each other, both wondering if she was breaking through her programming. Unable to maintain eye contact any longer, Briana looked down and walked to her room.

Murdock was left standing in the hall, holding his jacket. He watched as his friend walked away, his concern for her growing with every step she took. Glancing at his watch, Murdock discovered the others would be back shortly. Murdock walked to his room where he lounged on the bed, studying his "Teach Yourself Danish" book.

Briana lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling. Thoughts raced through her mind, what was happening to her? She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping the darkness would quiet her mind. Unable to slow her thoughts down, Briana quickly sat up and pulled the briefcase out from under her bed. Sitting on the floor, Briana opened the briefcase and pulled out a gun. She quickly assembled it and then grabbed the spare clip, holding it as she stood. Briana tucked the gun into the waist of her jeans and turned to exit her room. She made her way to the guards' firing range, remembering how cathartic emptying a couple clips into paper targets was.

The team walked into the kitchen in search of Murdock and Briana. They found Murdock sitting at the table with his book nearby as he talked to one of the kitchen staff, testing out his Danish on the young woman. She smiled encouragingly when he'd say something correct and gently correct him when he'd get it wrong.

"So how'd it go? Did Briana interrogate our guest?" Hannibal asked as he pulled the chair across from Murdock out from under the table and sat down.

Turning his attention to his teammates, Murdock replied, "She didn't interrogate him, she told me to tell you to do it."

Hannibal was intrigued. He had thought for sure Briana would have interrogated the man herself while the team was still hunting down leads. "Did she say why she wanted me to interrogate him?"

Face kept an ear on the conversation as he put his best moves onto the young woman Murdock was talking to when they came in. B.A. and Frankie had decided to take a seat as well, needing a break from all the standing and walking they did that morning.

"All she said was that she needed to be alone."

"Murdock, what happened after you two left?"

"Briana stopped the car about halfway to the castle an' pulled him out of the car. She asked him who he was workin' for and he refused to answer so she knocked him out with one punch. Then she searched the guy for a trackin' device. She tossed his shoes on the side of the road. After Ah put him in the trunk we drove back here. He's locked up in the dungeon and when Ah asked Bree why she wasn't interrogatin' him herself, she said she needed to be alone. Colonel… Ah think there's somethin' wrong with her programmin'."

"What makes you say that?"

"She hesitated when Ah asked her why she wasn't going to interrogate him. Ah don't know but it seems like she's fightin' the programmin' or somethin'."

"Where is she now?"

"Ah don't know. She was in her room before but was gone when Ah went to get her for our rendezvous'."

"Well then I guess we might as well interrogate our prisoner. I'm sure Briana will join us when she gets back," Hannibal said as he pushed his chair back from the table and stood.

"Oh Briana also said we should have a guard translate for us, if we needed it," Murdock said, following his team out of the kitchen.

Murdock led the way through the castle down to the dungeon, pausing briefly to ask a guard to join them on the way. Down in the dungeon the guard agreed to stay outside of the cell and wait to see if the prisoner spoke English. Hannibal walked into the room, sizing it up and scanning it for ideas of what he could use to torture the prisoner. "Do you speak English?" Hannibal asked as he stalked towards the prisoner.

The prisoner sized up the silver-haired man wondering how big of a threat Hannibal was to him. "Answer the man, fool," B.A. said in a menacing tone as he stalked forward.

The prisoner flinched when he saw the hulking black man, "Yes, yes I speak English," he said, heavily accented, fearing what B.A would do to him if he didn't answer the simple question.

"Good, now why don't you tell me who you're working for and where you're hiding the Prince."

"Why should I tell you anything?" he spat.

"Because if you don't, my friend here will twist you into a pretzel," Hannibal said, motioning towards B.A."

B.A. growled as he cracked his knuckles as he stalked forward.

"I'd, ah, answer the man if I were you, you don't want to make B.A. mad," Face said in his usual casual manner.

The prisoner walked backwards trying to get away from the hulking man. He stopped at the wall when he could go no further. Gulping he said, "I... I… I… work for Soren Overgaard."

"OK, now that we've established that, what does Overgaard want? Why did he kidnap the prince?" Hannibal asked.

"Soren wants the people that killed Prince Gudamond's aide and he wants to take out the royal family."

"Why does Overgaard want to take out the royal family?" Hannibal asked.

"Soren feels it's time for a change. The monarchy is outdated."

"And how do you feel about the monarchy?"

Niels folded his arms across his chest in an effort to feel more confident than he actually was at the moment. Standing in the dungeon surrounded by the five men he was starting to think he made a mistake by agreeing to help Soren with his lust for revenge. "I agree," he replied, sticking his chin out defiantly.

"Oh, you think it's that easy do you?" Murdock questioned as he stepped forward. "There's more to government than passin' laws and collectin' taxes."

"Not now Captain," Hannibal said, needing to get back to the interrogation. "So what does Overgaard want with the aide's killers?"

"He wants to kill them."

"Why?"

"Because Frans was Soren's brother."

A cold chill ran up Murdock's spine. Briana was right - this was about revenge. He shot a worried glance in Hannibal's direction.

Knowing what the others were thinking, Hannibal felt a sudden urgency to finish the interrogation. "Where is Soren holding the prince?"

"He's holding the prince in a farm in Skovstrop on Lillevej."

Having heard enough, Hannibal turned around and motioned for his men to follow him. As the team walked out of the dungeon, Hannibal told the palace guard to deal with the prisoner. The guard nodded and offered to get the address of the farm for the team. After the guard walked into the dungeon, the team walked back upstairs, deciding it was best to wait until they were far from the prisoner before they said what was on their minds.

The five men walked outside to the courtyard, making their way to the benches. Some stood while the others sat down as they talked about what they learned in the interrogation. "Bree was right. This is a trap," Murdock said.

Hannibal pulled a cigar out of his jacket pocket and bit the end off, spitting it on the ground. He lit the cigar, taking a few puffs to get it started. "It's more than a trap - it's a blood bath. Once they've taken care of Briana then they'll go after the royal family," Frankie said.

"But they didn't factor us in. Briana's safe with us and we'll keep those animals from the royal family. But first we need to find Briana, then we need to do some recon," Hannibal said.

A man in a dark suit with sunglasses walked through the courtyard; a guard having instructed the man where to find the A-team. "Colonel Smith," he said, gaining the man's attention. "General Stockwell sent me with the extra munitions and vehicle Ms Stockwell requested."

"Thank you Abel 4," Briana said, walking up to the group.

Abel 4 turned to the woman and said, "Everything is in the private parking lot."

"Noted," she said.

Able 4 gave her a curt nod, turned on his heel and walked away. Able 20 followed him to the castle to drive Able 4 back to their hotel. Unsure of what to expect when he had received word of the mission, Hunt Stockwell had sent Ables 4 and 20 ahead to Denmark in case they would be needed.

Briana turned her attention to the men of the A-Team and immediately noticed the concerned looks. Not even Murdock smiled as he looked at her. "You were right," Hannibal said, not bothering to beat around the bush. "This is a trap. And they want to kill the royal family. Does the name Soren Overgaard mean anything to you?"

"Yes, he's the brother of one of the men we killed, Frans Overgaard, who was the Prince's assistant. He's the one that wants revenge? That doesn't surprise me; only Soren would know Danny and I are the only people the Prince trusts. Where is that piece of crap holding Dieter?"

"On a farm in Skovstrop. The guard is getting the address for us," Hannibal replied.

"What's the plan?" Briana asked.

Hannibal was surprised by the question, based on what little he knew of her programming, Hannibal had assumed Briana would take charge while on the mission. "We're going to do some recon, after lunch." Hannibal turned to the men under his command and said, "Why don't you guys go ahead? We'll catch up in a minute."

The men walked past Hannibal and Briana, each shooting a concerned glance in her direction. Hannibal watched as the men walked back to the castle. Once they were out of earshot, he asked the one question that had been on his mind ever since the rest of the team came back. "Why didn't you interrogate Overgaard?"

Briana shot a quick glance towards the team before replying. "If I had he would have been dead before we found out where they're holding Dieter."

Hannibal took a few drags of his cigar as he mulled over what Briana said. Now he understood why she wouldn't tell Murdock earlier. Deciding he knew all he needed to about the former CIA agent, Hannibal said, "Come on kid, I don't know about you but I'm starving."

Later that afternoon, as the team was loading into the van, Hannibal had the guard, while he was giving the Sergeant directions to the farm, show B.A. where the hospital was on the map. B.A. grabbed the map and slid behind the wheel of the van and drove the group to the farm. Hannibal made mental notes of the surrounding area while B.A drove. He didn't like the openness; it would make it harder to sneak around and Hannibal worried Briana might charge in and get shot. The words _'she's a danger to herself'_ kept running through his head, causing Hannibal to chomp down on his cigar so hard he thought he would bite it in two. He took the cigar out of his mouth and held it between his fingers, resting his hand on the open van window.

The rest of the team had been sitting on the floor in the back of the cargo van. Briana and Murdock sat on the driver side, facing the passenger side, while Frankie and Face sat across from them.

"Hey Bree, where'd you go earlier?" Frankie asked.

"Firing range," she replied.

"Yeah? How'd you do?" Franked asked, smiling.

"See for yourself," she said, reaching into her back pocket. She pulled out a square of paper and tossed it at Frankie.

Frankie easily caught the paper and unfolded it, finding a paper target. His smile faded when he saw the positioning of the bullets. All the bullets were tightly grouped around the heart and head. He swallowed hard and said, "Nice, ah, grouping."

Face casually glanced over at the paper then towards the front of the van and quickly looked back, not sure he had seen correctly. He let out a low whistle and said, "Hey Hannibal, she could give you a run for your money."

Hannibal turned in his seat to look at Face. He put the cigar back into his mouth before reaching for the paper target. Looking at the paper left him with no doubt about Briana's skill with a gun, however it didn't ease his mind about her safety. Deciding to leave his troubled friend alone, Hannibal turned back around, folding the paper and placing it into his jacket pocket.

"We're here," B.A. said as he pulled onto the long drive leading to the farm.

"Don't get too close, B.A." Hannibal instructed.

B.A. nodded and stopped several yards from the entrance to the farm. The team exited the van and Hannibal issued orders, "B.A. recon, take the west side of the farm, Face the east. Murdock North and Frankie South. With any luck we'll have everything we need before sunset."

"We need to get into the house and find out where they're holding Dieter," Briana said, looking through a pair of binoculars.

"You can't go in there, they obviously know what you look like," Hannibal observed, as he scanned the area with his own binoculars. Hannibal noted the farm had floodlights on high telephone poles close to the buildings. They were going to make it harder to sneak around, if they planned on making their move after dark.

"There's no one else. The only one of your team that knows Danish is Murdock, and that's only because I taught him a little last night. He's not fluent, I am. They know what all the palace guards look like and most likely know what the police look like. That leaves pulling in a civilian or I go."

Taking the binoculars from his eyes, Hannibal turned to face the woman and said, "Bree, it's too risky sending you in. We need to figure something else out. You said you taught Murdock some Danish last night; so he goes. He can walk around the house and look for Dieter while keeping his ears open for anything they might say about you or any possible attacks."

Briana pulled the binoculars from her eyes and turned to look at Hannibal. Deep down she knew he was right, that it was too risky for her to go in, but she didn't want to see her friend be put in harm's way. Putting the binoculars onto hood of the van, Briana turned around and walked towards the back of the van, needing a moment to think before responding to what Hannibal just said. Logically, she knew it was ridiculous for her to be worried about Murdock going into the house to do recon when they'd been doing this kind of work for close to 20 years.

Black Stars only worked with their partners. They knew how their partners thought and knew if needed, a Black Star would kill all adversaries as the Black Star escaped from any situation. Black Stars were emotionless soldiers, they didn't dwell on their feelings, they didn't worry about friends; they didn't have friends.

Turning back around, Briana walked to Hannibal and said, "How do you plan on getting Murdock in? Whatever it is, he'll need to be able to walk around the entire house, look in every room."

"I was thinking they're going to develop a bug problem," Hannibal said, smiling around his cigar.

A couple hours later the team began to trickle back to the van. Each person waited until the rest of the team was there before relaying their information. They'd found security to be light compared to most of their jobs. There were cameras throughout the grounds and men walking guard duty armed with rifles. Murdock was disappointed to learn there was no helicopter but there was a van hidden in the barn along with various farm vehicles.

"We still need to get into the house and find out where they're holding Dieter," Hannibal said. "I have a feeling they're going to develop a pest problem. Murdock, you're going to go in since you know some Danish."

"Why doesn't Bree go? She's fluent in Danish," Murdock said.

"They know what she looks like," Hannibal replied. "It's too risky, even if she goes in disguise. You're our best shot, Murdock."

"How exactly do you plan on getting me in then?"

"I know just the thing," Briana said.

It was close to dinnertime when Murdock walked up to the house dressed in gray coveralls, carrying a tool case. His favorite cap was in its usual place, on top of his head. He rang the doorbell and bounced where he stood as he waited for someone to answer the door. He glanced around seemingly casually until the door opened.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Black Star  
>Author: Batwoman<br>Rating: T - Het

Timeline: Takes place after season 5, this is more of a 6th season episode.

Thanks to my beta, Periwinkle for your work!

Feed Back: always welcome. : ) Either onlist or email: aaaahbatwomanrun yahoo . com (no spaces)

Archived: , LJ

Disclaimer: I don't own Face, BA, Murdock, Hannibal, Stockwell, the Abels and anyone else I'm forgetting. I'm just playing with them and will put them back unscathed when I'm done.

Author's Notes: The idea for this fic came me to me one day while watching random season 5 episodes last year. I'm an original fan of the show and had only seen one or two episodes in recent years. Last year's movie sparked my curiosity to see if this was online and it was! So I started watching episodes on random order, mostly ones I remembered, didn't remember, etc. I don't know how many times I watched each episode before I finally started with the pilot and went in order. All while writing this fic. It is finished and I'll post it in parts not sure how often since this is a busy time for me at church. There are other stories in this universe but they are put on the back burner until further notice. Enjoy!

Description: The team is worried that the new woman General Stockwell brought in is there to be their new handler. Not all is as it seems with her, she's hiding secrets, along with Stockwell. What are her secrets and how do they affect the team?

A thin man in his forties snatched the door open and spoke in Danish, "It's about time," Soren growled. "They're everywhere, do whatever it takes to kill them!"

"I'll leave traps in every room," Murdock responded in Danish, as he stepped into the house.

"I don't think you need to go into every room," Soren said, following Murdock's every move.

"No, no, no, I have to go into every room; even closets and the basement. Mice can get into everything." Murdock quickly made his way around the room, laying traps along the way.

"The basement is fine, I checked it myself just before you came," Soren said, trying not to look suspicious.

"That has to be where Dieter is," Briana said into a microphone which fed to a receiver Murdock wore in his ear. She helped Murdock converse with Soren by telling him what to say in Danish. "Tell him you have to go into the basement to lay traps."

"No, I need to go down to the basement and lay traps," Murdock relayed, as he walked around Soren.

Soren ground his teeth as he stewed. He didn't want any outsiders to go into the basement as it was too risky. He knew that if the exterminator saw the Prince then they would be in trouble. Unbeknownst to Soren, Murdock placed a mouse on Soren's shoulder. Just as Soren turned to follow Murdock, Soren spotted the mouse and snatched it off his shoulder, throwing it to the floor. "Fine! Lay traps in the basement. But don't wander around!" Soren walked out of the living room and into the hall. "_Evald_ come here!" he yelled.

Evald was slightly shorter than Soren, in his late forties with a potbelly and was balding. "You bellowed?"

Soren glared at the man; he was growing tired of his humor. "Watch him," he said, pointing to Murdock. "I'm going out." Soren stormed out of the house.

Murdock smirked as he watched Soren walk out of the house. Murdock turned back to his task at laying traps. He sped up his pace wanting to get through the house to make sure Briana was right about where they were holding the Prince. After making his way around the house, Murdock finally ventured down to the basement with Evald hot on his heels.

Murdock wandered around the basement, keeping his eyes sharp as he laid mousetraps. Spotting a door towards the back of the basement, Murdock walked towards it; randomly placing traps as he went along. "Uh, that's OK, you don't need to go in there," Evald said, rushing to catch up with Murdock.

"No, I need to go into every room," Murdock insisted, as he continued to walk towards the door.

Evald brushed past Murdock to block the door. "I, ah, placed traps in there myself earlier."

Murdock stopped mid-stride and listened as Briana talked to him, "Now we know where Dieter is being held. We'll meet you back at the van."

Murdock said his goodbyes and walked out of the basement. He climbed into the exterminator truck and drove away, quickly making his way to the meeting location, a short five miles away.

The rest of the team was standing outside of the van as Murdock pulled up. The Captain slid out of the truck and walked to the van, sitting in the open side door. "Ah checked that entire house. Ah didn't see Dieter. But there was a room in the basement with a lock on the door that Evald wouldn't let me go in."

"What kind of lock are they using?" Hannibal asked.

"Just a regular padlock. Face can pick it in no time," Murdock replied.

"What's the layout of the house?" Hannibal asked.

"The basement door is off the kitchen, and there's a back door into the kitchen. The basement is below ground with no visible door leadin' outside."

Briana nodded and said, "We go in after dark."

Hannibal agreed and said, "Murdock, return the truck; we'll follow to drive you back to the palace."

Later that night the team prepared to leave for their rescue mission. They dressed in all black and wore combat boots. Once he finished getting ready, Murdock walked to Briana's room and knocked on the door.

"Come in," she called.

Murdock turned the handle and pushed the door open. He walked in to find Briana tying her combat boots. "Ready?" he asked. He noted she had braided her hair, and thought that was the first time he had ever seen her hair that way.

Finishing up, Briana straightened and said, "I just need to grab my gun."

Murdock patiently waited for his friend to gather her weapon. He watched as she ejected the clip to check it. She placed the gun in her hip holster and walked towards the door, pausing long enough for Murdock to catch up. He closed the door behind them, silently praying Briana would be all right.

The team loaded into the van and B.A. fired up the engine, setting out for the farm in Skovstrop. The drive to the farm was silent, no one saying a thing, the men steeling themselves for the mission at hand.

B.A. pulled the van over to the side of the road down the street from the farm. The unit loaded extra clips into their various pockets and grabbed the M16s General Stockwell had provided them with earlier. After locking up the van, the team made their way down the driveway in single file. Hannibal took the lead followed by Briana, Murdock, Face, and Frankie, with B.A. pulling up the rear. They kept an eagle eye out for the guards patrolling the grounds, dropping low to the ground when a guard would walk close by or turn in their direction.

Jogging up to the house, the squad stealthily moved along the side of the house, making their way to the back door. Without saying a word, Face moved to the front of the group, pulling out his lockpick tools and making quick work of the lock. He carefully opened the door and peered into the room, giving his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the darkness, and then looked to see if anyone was around. Not finding anyone, they made their way around the corner to the basement door, carefully opening it and quietly padding down the stairs. As with their trek down the driveway, the team stayed in the same order going down the stairs. Hannibal quickly scanned the basement and found no one lurking about. Spotting a sliver of light at the back of the basement, He led his troops to the source of the light, B.A choosing to stay close to the stairs as a lookout.

Face started to work on the lock when B.A. heard footsteps above. "Hannibal," he hissed in warning. The team instantly froze and waited. B.A. looked up and saw the light turn on in the kitchen. He listened as the footsteps got closer to the basement stairs and then paused. Muffled voices soon followed and after a minute, the footsteps walked away and the light was turned off. The sergeant breathed a sigh of relief and he announced the "all clear" in a voice low enough to be heard by the team but not by the occupants of the house.

Face sagged with relief before taking a deep breath and getting back to his task at hand. In less than a minute he smirked as the tumblers gave into his prodding and opened the lock. He quickly took the padlock off and opened the door, stepping aside to allow Hannibal and Briana to walk in, both shouldering their weapons.

Prince Dieter was sitting in a chair, arms and legs tied down to the chair's arm rests and legs, with a gag in his mouth.

Briana quickly made her way to the young Prince and knelt in front of him, speaking quietly in Danish. She identified herself while Hannibal made quick work of the binds. Briana spared a minute to instruct the young Prince to remain quiet and follow the team out of the house and to their van.

Prince Dieter nodded in understanding and with courage far beyond his years, he took a deep breath as he stood from the chair to follow the men and woman.

"Face, Frankie, you've got the Prince," Hannibal ordered. Briana provided the translation for the young Prince.

When they were ready to make the careful trek back up the stairs, Briana and Hannibal took their weapons in hand and lead the men back out as stealthily as they entered. The team carefully made their way around the house, not wanting to be seen by anyone on patrol or anyone that might glance out a window.

The group was about ten feet from the house when they were spotted. The man on patrol shouted in Danish and fired at the retreating team. Hannibal and Briana both turned around and ran to the back of the group to help B.A. and Murdock return fire. "Face, Frankie, get the Prince to the van," Briana shouted over the sound of gunfire.

The men spared a second to glance back before picking up their pace to a full-on sprint as they did as they were ordered. The night exploded with light from the M16s the team used and the various weapons the kidnappers used. As fast as they emptied their clips, the men and Briana quickly slapped in a new clip and continued to return fire against their kidnappers.

The group that had been holding the Prince hostage clearly had the advantage in this firefight, as they were able to hide behind things whereas the A-Team was out in the open. That advantage didn't save them though, as slowly members fell to the ground, dead from one or more gunshots. Soren let out a litany of curses towards his group and Briana and her team. When he heard the first gunshot, he ran out of the house, weapon in hand, knowing what had happened. He had vowed to get the people responsible for his brother's death and now he had them dead in his sights. Soren, along with the rest of his band of rebels, fought hard against the four men and woman but they were out matched.

"Hannibal, Murdock, B.A…. _go_, I'll cover you," Briana yelled.

"We're not going anywhere," Hannibal said.

"That's an order Colonel," she growled.

"You're not my CO," he reminded her.

"No, but this is my mission. Now GO!"

Not wanting to argue with Briana, Hannibal said, "Murdock, B.A. fall back."

Briana took a few steps forward as she continued her volley of fire, reloading clips as needed. When the returning fire ceased, Briana stopped firing and waited. She dropped to her knees and crumbled down to the ground.

The sudden silence was deafening, Hannibal looked over his shoulder as they ran and stopped. Spotting Briana on the ground he called out, "B.A., man down," as he ran to the woman.

Murdock heard the order and stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to see Briana on the ground, not moving. A knot instantly formed in his stomach and he ran to her faster than he ever ran before. "No no no no no no no," he said repeatedly as he slid next to her. He snaked his arm behind her neck and carefully lifted her head up. Feeling for a pulse, Murdock was relieved to find she was still alive.

"B.A., we need to get her to a hospital, fast," Hannibal said.

As B.A. reached down to pick up his friend, Murdock said, "No, Ah'll do it," sliding his other arm under her legs and struggling to lift himself off the ground. B.A. helped the slight man stand before running to the barn.

B.A. frantically searched the van for the keys without finding them. Not having anymore time to waste, he set about hotwiring the van. When the engine turned over, he jumped in and slammed the door close, flooring it. The van came to a halt next to Murdock and Hannibal, and B.A. threw the van in park before jumping in the back to open the side door. Hannibal also jumped into the back of the van, tossing his weapon aside before reaching out to help Murdock.

Murdock allowed Hannibal to help with Briana; they gently placed her on the floor of the van before Murdock jumped in, slamming the door closed behind him. Once the door was shut, B.A. threw the van into gear and slammed his foot down on the gas pedal. "B.A., give us some light back here," Hannibal ordered.

B.A. obliged and the back of the van was bathed in light. "Where's she hit?" Hannibal asked.

Murdock frantically ran his hands around her torso and found sticky wetness everywhere his hands touched. He pawed at her shirt, un-tucking and doing his best to pull it up. Hannibal reached into his pocket for his knife and handed it to Murdock. Murdock accepted the knife and made quick work of cutting Briana's clothes open down the center. He threw the shirt open, discovering that her entire torso was covered in blood. Murdock didn't know what was making his stomach churn, the bumpy ride of the van being driven over the dirt, or the sight of his friend in that condition.

Murdock felt so helpless. They didn't have any first aid supplies with them and he was resigned to watch his friend bleed out. Needing to feel useful, he covered her back up with her shirt and prayed she would live.

"Murdock, take her gun off and check her pockets, see if she has any weapons in there." Murdock did as he was instructed; when finished he passed the gun to Hannibal for safekeeping.

B.A. urgently honked the horn as he pulled up next to the other van. He rolled the window down as he slowed the down the vehicle. Frankie ran to the van, wondering what was going on. B.A. said, "Briana's hurt, we're taking her to the hospital."

"How bad?"

"Bad," Hannibal said, sliding to the front of the van. "Take the Prince back to the castle, then meet us at the hospital."

"You got it," Frankie said, as he jogged to the other van.

Once their teammate was clear of the vehicle, B.A. slammed his foot onto the gas pedal and drove to the hospital at breakneck speeds. "Hang in there li'l mama," he murmured.

Hannibal pulled himself off the floor of the van and sat in the passenger seat as fast as he could, quickly strapping himself in.

Murdock hovered over his friend's prone body, afraid to take his eyes off of her, for fear that if he did, she would die. Needing to feel useful, Murdock took Briana's wrist in his hand and placed his index finger on her pulse point, studying his watch as he sat silently as he took her pulse.

"How's she doing?" Hannibal asked.

"Her pulse is weak," Murdock replied after a moment. "Ah don't know if she'll make it, Colonel."

Hannibal turned to their driver and said, "B.A.?"

"We're almost there." Spotting their target down the street, B.A. pushed the gas pedal to the floor in an effort to make the van move faster. As they got closer to the hospital, B.A. noticed flashing blue lights in his side view mirror. "We've got company, Hannibal."

Hannibal looked out his side view mirror and spotted a glance of the squad car. "Keep going, B.A. we don't have time to stop. We'll deal with the police later."

B.A. nodded as he continued his mission. Quickly approaching the entrance to the hospital, B.A. slammed on the brakes to slow down and turned the wheel as hard as he could, to the right. Murdock slammed into the side of the van, losing his balance as his friend drove. B.A. slowed his pace a little as he drove through the parking lot on his way to the E.R.

Before he reached the doors to the emergency room, B.A. slammed on the brakes, once again knocking Murdock over, tires squealing as the van came to a halt. Murdock scrambled to a sitting position so he could open the door. He threw the door open and jumped out of the van, quickly reaching for his friend.

The police car came to a screeching halt behind the van and the officer ran out, gun in hand as he tried to stop the occupants of the van. "She's been shot," Murdock called out in Danish, as he moved to the back of the van, into view of the police officer.

The police officer stood in shock when he saw the woman in Murdock's arms. Her head hung back, he could hear her ragged breathing, and saw a trickle of blood streaming down her right hand as it hung low.

Not waiting for a reply, Murdock turned around and ran into the emergency room, calling out in Danish, "She's been shot, she needs a doctor."

A nurse and doctor ran up to Murdock asking what happened.

"She's been shot, she needs help," he said, concern lacing his words.

The doctor led Murdock to an empty room where Murdock gently placed his friend on the gurney. He wanted to stay next to her but knew the doctors and nurses needed to get close to Briana to work on her. Murdock reluctantly stepped back and walked towards the door, never taking his eyes off Briana. A nurse came up to Murdock firing off a string of questions about Briana, in Danish; Murdock did his best to reply to each question. Finding he was having trouble remembering what Briana taught him the night they received word of this mission, Murdock asked the nurse if she spoke English. She said "yes" and he continued answering the questions as best as he could.

When the nurse was finished with her questions, Murdock placed a hand on the door to walk out. The nurse told Murdock where the men's room was to which he gave her a questioning look. She pointed towards his hands and that was when he noticed the blood on them, for the first time. Murdock thanked her and pushed the door open, making his way to the restroom. Walking to the bathroom, Murdock touched his hands together, feeling the sticky blood on both hands. He spared a glance down as he walked across the hall, and noticed just how much blood there was. Somewhere in the back recess of his mind, he heard Hannibal call his name, but all his brain processed was images of the past. Reflections of the war he and his friends fought in. Broken bodies of the men Murdock transported from the battlefield to the M*A*S*H* units, comrades in arms, even his own team.

Upon reaching the restroom, Murdock pushed the door open with his shoulder and walked straight for the sink. He looked at the faucet then at his hands and back at the faucet. He needed to turn the water on but didn't want to get blood all over it. Taking a deep cleansing breadth, Murdock reached for the faucet and turned the water on. He held his hands under the running water and watched as the warm blood flowed off of his hands and down the drain. It was as if he was in a trance watching the crimson water flow down the drain. Nearly a minute after the water began running clear, Murdock began to move on autopilot. He dispensed some soap into his hand and began to massage his hands together, then rinsed them well, and then he used his hands as vessels to hold some water and rinsed the blood off the faucet. When he finished, he reached for the paper towels and dried his hands.

Murdock walked out of the restroom and towards his friends, images of Viet Nam still flashing through in his mind. He spotted a payphone up ahead and paused for a moment, reaching into his pocket to see how much change he had. He pulled the fist full of coins out and frowned; it wasn't enough for a phone call to Doctor Richter. Murdock knew his old Psychiatrist would be able to help him through this, but he didn't want to call the doctor collect. Instead he walked up to the phone and picked up the receiver, holding it to his ear. He inserted a number of coins and dialed the phone number to the hotel he and Briana had been to earlier that day. "General Stockwell's room please," he said when the operator answered the phone. She connected his call to General Stockwell's suite and after he answered the phone, Murdock began to talk. "General Stockwell, Bree's been shot. She's at the hospital now; they're workin' on her."

Hunt closed his eyes at the news, he was afraid something bad would happen to his daughter. "How bad?"

"Real bad," Murdock replied.

"Which hospital are you at?" Hunt asked. Murdock relayed the information then hung up the phone after Hunt assured him they were on the way.

Murdock relayed the information then hung up the phone. He looked up to find the police officer waiting for him, needing answers to his questions. Murdock once again picked the receiver up and fed coins into the phone. He then dialed the number to the castle and asked to speak with Prince Gudmand.

"Captain, this is unexpected, how is the mission going?" Gudmand asked, standing next to the desk in his study.

"Frankie and Face have your son, they're bringin' him to the castle now. "

"That's wonderful," Gudmand beamed. "What about the rest of the team, do you need any help?"

"Not exactly. Briana's been shot an' we're at the hospital."

Prince Gudmand looked up as if asking a higher power, "How bad is it?"

Murdock closed his eyes and replied, "Bad."

Gudmand sank down in his chair; he called the former Black Star to rescue his son because he knew Briana could bring Dieter home safe. He hadn't planned on her getting hurt in the process. "I will have my pilot fly Lieutenant Peck and Mr. Santana to the hospital when they arrive."

"Thank you," Murdock murmured. Opening his eyes he saw the police officer impatiently waiting to speak with Murdock. Suddenly getting an idea, Murdock said, "Could you do me a favor?"

"Of course."

"B.A. was speedin' to get Bree to the hospital in time and we passed a cop who chased us here…."

"I understand, let me speak with him."

"Thank you," Murdock said.

"It's the least I can do," Gudmand said.

Murdock looked past the police officer to his friends and handed the receiver to the policeman before walking to his friends.

Hannibal looked at his friend with concern. "You OK?" he asked.

Without saying a word, Murdock walked to the chairs in the waiting room and sank down; he placed the heels of his feet on the chair. Hannibal and B.A. followed their friend to the waiting area. Hannibal sat down on the chair next to Murdock while B.A. stood. Murdock leaned his head back against the wall and slowly began to speak. "Ah promised Bree we'd keep her safe. She was scared because she knew somethin' bad was gonna happen. Ah failed."

"Murdock, you didn't fail, you saved her. What did Briana teach you in Danish?"

"Uh mostly what to tell doctors an' nurses if she got hurt."

Hannibal was afraid of that, "Well there you go. Briana made sure you had the tools you needed to save her."

"But she was shot an' an' she could still die."

Hannibal remembered how Nam affected Murdock and he wondered if his friend was having trouble seeing Briana shot and on the verge of death. "And there's a very good chance she'll make it."

The young nurse Murdock had been speaking with earlier walked up to the men, informing them that Briana was being taken up to surgery. She offered to take the men up to the surgical waiting room.

"Now see, she's going up to surgery, I'm sure she'll be just fine," Hannibal said. Standing he looked down at his friend and asked, "Are you coming?"

Murdock morosely looked up at his friend and replied, "No, I'm gonna wait here for the others."

Hannibal sighed; he knew there was no getting through to Murdock when the younger man was like that. "We'll see you upstairs then."

Murdock had been quietly sitting by himself, lost in thought for a couple hours when Face and Frankie ran into the hospital, followed by Prince Gudmand. Frankie looked around as Face and the Prince were at the desk, talking to the receptionist. Spotting Murdock, Frankie patted Face on the shoulder and informed him that Murdock was in the waiting room. The three men quickly walked to Murdock, worried something had happened to Briana. "Murdock, how is she?" Face asked, sitting next to his friend.

Murdock stared at nothing in front of him as he replied. "Ah don't know she's in surgery."

Face could easily see Murdock was worried for his friend. "Well that's good, are Hannibal and B.A. waiting for her there?"

"Yeah," Murdock simply replied.

"Why are you waiting down here?" Frankie asked.

"Ah was waitin' for you an' Bree's parents."

Face placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder, "Well we're going to wait with Hannibal and B.A. That is unless you want us to wait here with you."

"No, you go ahead, Ah'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Frankie asked.

Murdock looked up at his friend for the first time and replied, "Yeah, Ah'm sure."

"If you're sure, buddy," Frankie said. Murdock nodded and the group turned to leave.

Glancing at his watch, Murdock found the trio had gotten to the hospital faster than expected. "How'd you get here so fast?" he asked before they left the room.

Turning, Face replied, "The Prince's helicopter." At Murdock's nod they continued on to the elevators.

Murdock was once again left to sit by himself as he waited for Briana's parents to arrive. He glanced around the nearly empty waiting room. Needing fresh air, Murdock stood from his chair and stretched before walking outside.

Shoving his hands deep in his pants pocket and taking a deep breath, he began to walk along the front of the hospital. The images of Viet Nam mixed with images of blood-covered Briana continued to plague him.

Some time later a limousine pulled up to the hospital and Hunt Stockwell and his wife stepped out of the back door. Patricia Stockwell spotted Murdock walking towards the door. "How is she?" Hunt asked as the other man stopped next to the couple.

"Don't know. Ah've been waitin' for everyone down here. Hannibal an' B.A. went upstairs when they took Bree into surgery."

Patricia observed Murdock. "Are you all right?" she asked. Sighing Murdock shook his head, no. Patricia wrapped her arm around Murdock's shoulders and said, "Come on, you look like you could use a cup of coffee."

Hunt could easily see Murdock needed some time before going upstairs to the surgical waiting room with the rest of his team. "I'll meet you upstairs," he said, parting ways.

Patricia Stockwell and Murdock sat at a table next to the window in the cafeteria. The older woman wrapped her hands around her coffee mug as she watched her daughter's friend stare out the window. They had quietly been sitting at the table for a few minutes, merely sipping their coffee from time to time. Deciding she had had enough of the silence, Patricia spoke. "What's wrong H.M.? Some how I don't think it's seeing my daughter shot, after all you are a war vet."

Murdock took a deep breath as he turned to face his friend's mother. "Seein' her shot like that reminded me of Nam. Ah keep seein' images in my mind from Nam. Images… well you don't need to know what Ah saw in Nam, ma'am."

Patricia reached across the table and placed a comforting hand on his arm, "Oh H.M., I know how hard that can be. The first time I saw Bree in the hospital I couldn't sleep for a week. Every time I closed my eyes I saw her lying in that bed, hooked up to all those machines."

"How did you deal with it?"

Patricia raised the mug to her lips and took a sip. Putting it down she replied, "I don't know how much Bree told you about us, but this happened when Hunt and I were divorced. Hunt came over one day and we talked for hours. Hunt spent the night and, well, let's just say our brief reconnection helped. You see Hunt remembered that when he had moments like that, it helped to talk it out."

"Does Bree know?"

"I never told her and I don't think Hunt told her either. Do you have anyone you can talk to?"

Without thinking, Murdock replied, "Doctor Richter."

Intrigued Patricia asked, "Who's that?"

"He's my… uh…" For once Murdock didn't know what to say. He didn't know how much the older woman knew about him and the team, and he didn't know what she would say if she knew he was certified insane for over a decade. Murdock liked Briana and he didn't want to worry the woman sitting across from him about his past.

"He's your what, dear?" 

"He's my psychiatrist."

Smiling warmly, Patricia said, "There's no shame in that. What about your friends, can you talk to any of them?"

"Ah suppose so."

"That's good. Now, what do you say we go join the others upstairs while we wait for word on Bree?"

For the first time in hours, Murdock was starting to feel like there was hope. Hope that the images that once plagued him so long ago would once again leave him in peace. Chugging the remainder of his coffee, Murdock put the mug down onto the table and said, "Sounds good."

Patricia took one last gulp of coffee before sliding her chair back and standing. Murdock stood from his chair as well and looked at her curiously. "Tell me somethin'. How can you sit here so calmly while Bree's in surgery?"

"Well, regardless of whether I was sitting upstairs or down here, I'd still be concerned about Bree. Before Hunt went to the safe house to tell you about the mission, he spoke to me about it. We talked for hours and he assured me that even if Bree would get hurt, you and your friends would keep her safe and get her to a hospital right away." Murdock pushed his chair back from the table and stood. "Besides, you looked like you could use a little mothering," Patricia added with a smile.

Upstairs in the surgical waiting room the men of the A-Team quietly sat anxiously waiting for word on their friend while Hunt and the Prince stood at the other side of the room in quiet conversation. At the sound of approaching footsteps, Hunt eagerly looked to see who it was. "Any word?" Patricia asked as she came closer to her husband.

"Not yet…" Hunt began. He stopped when he saw a doctor walk in, looking around the room. "How is she, doctor?"

Patricia turned around and slid next to her husband, needing to be close to him for fear of what the doctor would say.

"Have a seat, please," The doctor said, leading the couple to the chairs. Hunt and Patricia followed the physician, sitting down in a pair of chairs in the back of the room. The doctor sat down with a sigh of relief, taking off his skullcap. "We stabilized Briana but she is in serious condition. All the bullets have been safely removed, one bullet penetrated her left lung, another nicked her liver, the rest missed vital organs but she lost a lot of blood. We reset her right arm and put it in a cast. She's in a drug-induced coma we'll pull her out of it once she's stronger."

"When can we see her, doctor?" Hunt asked.

"She's in recovery now but a nurse will come for you soon."

Murdock stepped up to the small group, wanting to speak with the doctor before the man left. "When can Ah see her?"

The doctor glanced up at Murdock and asked, "Are you family?"

"No, but Ah'm her friend and Ah want to see her."

"I'm sorry but only family may go in to see her."

"Doctor Ah carried her into the hospital; all Ah want to do is see my friend."

"I'm sorry but it's hospital policy that…"

"Excuse me, doctor," Prince Gudmand said, stepping forward. The doctor looked up, surprised to find the crown Prince standing in the waiting room. He hadn't noticed the Prince before. "May I speak with you privately?" Gudmand asked.

"Yes, your Highness." 

Gudmand led the doctor outside of the waiting room, into the hall to have a conversation away from the others. "I understand it's hospital policy to only allow family into ICU but I'd appreciate it if you allowed her friends to see her."

"I'm sorry you're Highness, but it's out of my hands."

"Who do I need to speak with to get permission for her friends to see her? Agent Stockwell and her team saved my son, they deserve to see her."

The doctor sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "You can try speaking with the head of the hospital, he decides the policy. He will be back in, in the morning."

"Thank you," Gudmand, walking back into the waiting room. "Captain," he said, gaining Murdock's attention. "I'm going to speak with the head of the hospital in the morning to give you permission to see Briana."

"Thank you," Murdock sighed.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get back to the castle." Prince Gudmand turned and walked out of the waiting room.

Murdock walked to the chairs and sank down next to Face. Hannibal kept a close eye on Murdock, he could easily see the pilot was having a hard time seeing Briana shot and covered in blood. The group sat quietly as they waited for the nurse to come for Hunt and Patricia.

It was some time later before a young nurse walked in to take the Stockwells back to see Briana. Despite the late hour the group sitting in the waiting room were all awake.

When the couple was out of the waiting room, Patricia laced her fingers with Hunt's, needing the comfort of her husband as they walked to see their daughter. Arriving at the room, Patricia hesitantly walked in knowing what she would see, afraid to see her daughter bandaged, hooked up to tubes and machines keeping her alive. Tears stung her eyes as she sat down in the chair next to the bed. Hunt carefully sank down on the bed, so as not to sit on any cables or tubes. He reached a hand to brush his fingers down her cheek.

"No more Hunt. I want that damned program out of her head."

"I've had my men studying the information from the CIA, and they can't do it quickly. They need more time to analyze it all. For now all we can do is reset the new programming. Unless you want them to keep Bree in isolation for months until she's deprogrammed."

Patricia sighed; she hated what the CIA had done to their daughter. "No. And more missions, this is it Hunt, I mean it!"

Hunt reached for his wife's hand and took it in his. He caressed the back of her hand with his thumb as he talked, "I know, I don't want to see her like this again. Believe me this is the last time," he vowed. Hunt glanced back at his daughter and said, "She's a fighter, she won't let this keep her down."

The young nurse came into the room with a clipboard and said, "I'm sorry, but you must leave now."

"Can't we stay just 5 more minutes?" Patricia asked.

"I'm sorry, no. But you may come back tomorrow morning."

Rising from the bed, Hunt helped his wife to stand and murmured, "Come on honey. It's late; we should get some sleep."

Patricia didn't want to go but she knew there was nothing she could do. Deferring to her husband, Patricia held onto Hunt's hand for dear life as they walked towards the waiting room.

"Gentlemen," Hunt said as he walked into the waiting room. "We're going back to our hotel. You're welcome to ride with us."

The team looked at each other, before Hannibal spoke up. "Thank you, we'll come with," he said, rising from his seat.

Outside the men of the A-Team wearily climbed into the back of the limousine followed by the Stockwells. Hunt instructed the driver to stop at the hotel before taking the team to the castle. The ride back was silent; fatigue was starting to set in with the men.

Later that night when the limousine arrived at the castle, the team climbed out of the back, taking a moment to stretch their tired muscles. They slowly made their way into the building, ready to crawl into their beds for several hours of quality sleep. When they were inside the castle, Hannibal decided to talk to Murdock. "Murdock," Hannibal said, gaining the younger man's attention. "You OK?"

Murdock paused mid-step, turning he took a deep breath before answering. "No. Ah've been thinkin' about Nam, the blood an' guts of it."

"When did that start?"

"Uh, when Ah walked to the bathroom to wash my hands. They were covered in Bree's blood."

"That wasn't the first time you've seen blood or seen a friend shot."

"Ah know that, Ah don't know why Ah've been havin' these images of Nam flash through my mind."

"Has this ever happened before?" 

"No, an' Ah don't know why Ah am now."

Hannibal thought a moment, he knew Murdock well enough to know this wasn't normal. "Did you have this problem when Face was shot last year?"

"No."

"What did you do that night that was different than tonight?"

"Ah don't know. Well Ah was busy tryin' to keep those creeps from hurtin' anyone in the restaurant."

"Well see there you go, you were staying busy, keeping your mind off the fact that Face was shot."

Murdock looked at Hannibal unsure if that was the case. "What if… what if they don't stop an' Ah have to go back to the VA? Ah don't want to go back there."

Hannibal draped an arm across Murdock's shoulders and said, "Murdock, I'm sure you'll be fine. This will pass before you know it."

Murdock looked at Hannibal, feeling unsure. Fear of his sanity gripped his heart with a cold hand. "Ah don't know…."

"_I_ know Murdock. It's going to be hard to do, but you need to find something to take your mind off tonight. Try reading a book."

"Ah'll try, Colonel."

"Good. You should try to get some rest; we've all had a long day," Hannibal said, walking to his room.

Murdock nodded and began his own trek to his bedroom. Once in his room, Murdock closed the door behind him as he tiredly made his way to the bed and stretched out on top of the comforter. He scrubbed his face with his hands; his eyes were starting to feel like they were sitting in the dessert. Sighing, he grabbed the book off his nightstand and opened it to where he left off. Murdock knew he was really tired when he read the words in the book but his brain refused to accept the Danish words as easily as it did when he was fully awake. He closed his eyes a moment to rest them only to fall asleep with the book resting on his chest.

Sleep came easy to Murdock that night but nightmares plagued him. Images of Briana's broken and bloodied body mixed with memories of Viet Nam. He thrashed in bed as the nightmares continued throughout the night. It was close to dawn when the dreams changed; soon he was having visions of his teammates back in Viet Nam. Fighting a war in the jungles of a foreign country, danger lurking all around them. The A-Team, the best and most feared team in Nam, now falling to the enemy; one by one they were taken out by bullets, landmines, and various other instruments of death. Murdock shot up in bed, a scream at the back of his throat threatening to escape as he fought to control his breathing. His book hit the floor with a loud thud, causing him to nearly jump out of his skin. Murdock sat with his feet on the bed, legs bent at the knees, with his arms crossed on his knees, resting his forehead on his arms.

He sat like that for several minutes trying to clear his mind of the images that plagued his sleep. Deciding against trying to get more sleep, Murdock swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood, padding his way to the balcony. Shades of pink, yellow and white streaked the sky as the sun made its ascent towards the heavens. Murdock looked out at the sky thinking Briana would love the heavenly painting. He found it so peaceful that he just stood and watched as the sky changed colors with the rising sun. Some time after the sun was high in the sky, Murdock decided to get on with his day. He made his way back into the bedroom to take his boots off before taking a shower to wash off the dirt and grime from the previous night's rescue mission.

Later that morning the team stayed on the castle grounds, wanting to be close when the Prince returned with word of the change of the visitors' hospital policy. Murdock was wandering in the gardens needing to ease his mind when Face came running up. "Murdock, hey Murdock," he called out.

Murdock had been lost in thought when his friend's voice finally penetrated his brain. Looking up he saw Face smiling as he approached. "Murdock, the Prince just called. The hospital is going to let us see Bree."

Murdock's face lit up at the news. "Really?"

"Yeah, come on! The others are waiting for us in the van."

Murdock ran in a full sprint to the van, followed closely by his friend. Upon reaching the vehicle, Murdock dove into the back of the van, while Face stopped to hop in, slamming the door closed behind them. B.A. waited until the side door closed before he drove off, making his way away from the castle and to the hospital.

It was a long drive for everyone, but more so for Murdock. He nervously chattered away about seeing Briana. The usually gruff B.A. ignored his friend, knowing how anxious everyone was to see Briana.

It took close to three hours until the team arrived at the hospital; Murdock was the first to jump out of the van. He quickly made his way to the building as the others walked at a slower pace behind him. Murdock pushed the button for the elevator and bounced in his spot as he waited for the doors to open. The rest of the team picked up their paces to catch the elevator, wanting to ride up with their friend.

Upstairs in ICU the nurse reluctantly allowed the team to visit her patient. With Briana's parents in the room the nurse insisted that only one of the team entered until General Stockwell and his wife left. Murdock gave his friends a pleading look, wanting to be the first one to see Briana. They agreed to let him visit first, willing to wait as long as it took to see their friend.

Murdock nervously walked into Briana's room afraid of what he would see. _"She_ _didn't look so bad,"_ he thought. "How, how is she" he asked as he walked closer to the bed.

General Stockwell turned at the sound of the voice and said, "She's stable and getting stronger."

"That's good," Murdock murmured as he carefully sat on the edge of the bed.

Patricia observed the slight man, noting he looked tired. "How did you sleep, H.M.?"

Murdock glanced at General Stockwell first, then to Patricia. "Not so good."

"We'll give you some time with Bree. I need a cup of coffee anyway," she said, pushing herself up from the chair. Patricia motioned for Hunt to wait for her in the hall, and waited until he left the room. Patricia walked over to Murdock and rubbed his back comfortingly, "Try to get some sleep, you look tired," she said. At Murdock's questioning look she added, "Like I said last night, you look like you could use some mothering."

Murdock gave her a grateful smile and promised to get more rest. He watched as Patricia walked out of the room and then returned his attention to his friend lying in the bed. Murdock noticed the dirt smudged on her face, probably from the fall, he thought. He brushed his fingers across her cheek, trying to remove the dirt but found that didn't help. Frowning he began to talk to her. "Ah'm sorry Bree, Ah failed. Ah know Ah promised to protect you but… you knew this was gonna happen, didn't you? Ah should have grabbed you an' ran, that way you wouldn't be lyin' in that bed right now. But ya are here and there's nothin' Ah can do about it." He sighed as he reached out to brush a stray strand of hair from her forehead. "Ah've been thinkin' about what we could do when we go out. Actually Ah was thinkin' you'll probably be tired an' not want to go out for awhile so Ah can bring a pizza or somethin' an' a movie. What do you think?" Getting up from the bed, Murdock walked to the chair and sank down. "Ah, what am Ah sayin'? You probably can't hear me."

The young nurse came into the room to check on her patient. She overheard Murdock's last sentence as she entered. Walking to the bed with her chart she glanced at the machines and began to jot down notes and said, "They say people in comas can hear when you speak to them."

The information seemed to refresh the tired pilot. He sat up straight and reached for Bree's hand, absently rubbing the back of it with his thumb, waiting for the nurse to leave the room. Murdock watched as she buzzed about the place, moving out of the way when needed. It took several minutes before the nurse had finished her task and left. Murdock waited until she was out of the room before he began talking to Briana again. "You know, you never told me what kind of movies you like. Ah should ask your dad what your triggers are. Ah don't want to accidentally trigger your programmin'. Ah hope you never have to deal with that program again! Ah don't like you when you're a Black Star, you're not the same, you're…. scary. Now Ah know why you don't like to talk about it."

Murdock paused a moment, needing to regroup. The memories of the past 24 hours forever burned into his thoughts, he envisioned Briana under the influence of the programming in the future and he shuddered.

Switching gears Murdock asked, "Do you like Chinese food? What am Ah sayin'? Of course you like Chinese food, everybody likes Chinese food."

"You know, you're mom is real nice; Ah like her. But you already know that. Do you think Ah should send her a thank you card or somethin' for everythin' she's been doin'? Maybe Ah'll ask Faceman." Suddenly overtaken by a big yawn, Murdock shook his head hoping to stop any other yawns that were sure to follow. The growling of his stomach was close behind as if his body was telling him it was time to go and let someone else visit with Briana. "Ah guess that's my cue to exit stage right." Murdock stood from the chair and bent over the bed. He placed a kiss on her forehead, murmuring, "Ah'll be back later."

Hannibal had been keeping an eye on the door to the waiting room, worried about his friend. "How is she?" he asked as Murdock walked in.

Murdock walked to the chairs where his friends were sitting. "She's, uh, doin' good. General Stockwell said she's gettin' stronger."

"That's good," Frankie said, trying to encourage his friend.

"Yeah it is."

"Can we go in to see her?" Face asked.

"Yeah, Ah came out to get somethin' to eat."

Face and Frankie stood to walk out of the waiting room, wanting to see their friend. Face paused on his way out, placing a hand on Murdock's shoulder and said, "You, OK?" 

"Yeah, just tired."

Face gave Murdock's shoulder a squeeze before continuing on his trek out of the room.

"She doesn't look so bad," Frankie said, as he and Face stood next to the hospital bed.

Face looked around, taking in all the life-saving equipment. The steady beeps and rhythms of the machines brought back memories of his last stay in the hospital when the hitman hired to kill the attorney general shot him. "No, not bad at all," he finally said after a minute or two.

Hannibal and B.A. walked in shortly after, each standing next to the bed, beside their friends. The men kept a silent vigil, occasionally speaking quietly.

Murdock carried a tray loaded with food through the semi crowded cafeteria. He scanned the room as he walked, looking for a table towards the back of the room where he could sit by himself. The usually outgoing member of the A-Team was too drained to socialize at the moment. He just wanted to eat his lunch then get back to his friend lying in the bed in ICU, and then go back to the castle to take a nap. Forget the nap, he thought; he just wanted to go back home to Virginia where his friends were all safe and sound. He hated seeing his friends hurt, especially Briana. Murdock spotted General Stockwell and his wife as he walked towards the back of the cafeteria. He kept walking hoping the couple wouldn't stop him to talk, or invite him to sit with them.

"Captain," General Stockwell said, upon seeing Murdock.

Murdock sighed, praying Stockwell wouldn't ask him to sit at their table. "Yes, General," he said, walking up to their table.

"I'm flying Briana back to Virginia when she's strong enough to travel The doctor's estimate is it will be two days before she can go."

Murdock stood straighter at the news, "Ah want to fly her back, General," he said.

"No, I already have a transport waiting for the green light from the doctor. You can, however, fly back with her. You and the team."

Murdock was prepared to argue his cause to the General. He felt obligated to pilot the plane flying his friend and temporary teammate back to Virginia but a quick glance at Patricia Stockwell made him stop. In that fleeting glance he could see the toll this was taking on the older woman. "Yes, General," he said, and then continued on with his trek to the back of the room. Spotting an empty table in the corner, Murdock made his way there, placing his tray on the table as he slid into the chair by the wall. He scanned the crowed once before turning his attention to the food on his tray.

About an hour later, Murdock wearily strolled into the waiting room with a cup of coffee and found his friends sitting in the chairs. He guessed Briana's parents were visiting with her. Resigning himself to a long wait, Murdock sank down into a chair by his friends and placed his coffee cup on the side table. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his tired eyes for a moment. Before he knew it Murdock had fallen asleep.

Murdock felt a gentle nudging on his arm as he vaguely heard his name quietly spoken. He pried his eyes open and looked around, finding Patricia Stockwell sitting next to him. She gave him a tired smile as he blinked away the sleep. He scanned the room but found the team gone. "They're in Bree's room," she said.

"Oh," he merely said.

"Visiting hours are almost over. Hunt and I are going back to our hotel. I think your team is going to leave soon too."

Murdock looked at his watch wondering how long he had been asleep. It had only been a couple hours; he wondered why visiting hours were ending so early. He rubbed his eyes and thanked the older woman.

Patricia glanced towards the waiting room door at her husband and then turned back to Murdock. "We're going to go, goodnight H.M. We'll see you tomorrow."

"Night," he said as she stood. Murdock watched as she strolled to her husband and the couple wandered away. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to say goodbye to his friend, Murdock pushed himself from the chair and quickly made his way to Briana's room.

The next day the team left the castle early and made their way to the hospital. The team continued to give Murdock some privacy, allowing him to visit Briana alone. As with the day before, lunch was had at the hospital and dinner in town close to the castle. The usually social and upbeat Captain, still not feeling like being around people, spent his time back at the castle alone; split between walking around the gardens and locked in his room.

Murdock woke the next day with one thing on his mind, finding out if Briana was strong enough to travel back home. The thought put a new spring in his step; he quickly readied for the day and made his way to the kitchen where the team was eating breakfast. Bounding into the kitchen Murdock asked if there was any news from General Stockwell.

"Not yet," Hannibal replied.

Murdock grabbed a plate and loaded it with food before joining his friends at the table to eat his breakfast. They all anxiously awaited an update from their boss.

After all food was consumed and the dishes passed on to the kitchen staff for cleaning, the team were sitting at the table quietly chitchatting when Prince Gudmand walked in. "Briana is in transport to the airfield," he announced.

It took the men a few seconds to realize what the Prince had said. Though they were waiting to find out if Briana would be traveling back to Virginia today they weren't expecting Prince Gudmand to break the news to them. Murdock was the first to react; he pushed the chair back and jumped out of his seat, running to the Prince with a huge grin on his lips. He paused long enough to thank the man and shake his hand before running to his room, resisting the urge to let out a classic Howlin' Mad Murdock yell in the process.

"I've asked one of the housekeepers to pack Briana's things for you," the Prince added as the rest of the team stood from the table.

"Thank you," Hannibal said, as he made his way out of the kitchen.

Once everyone was packed, they loaded their luggage into the back of the van before climbing in to make their way to the airstrip where the medical transport was waiting for them. The men said their goodbyes to the royal family before climbing into their vehicle. All five men were eager to go back to their home in Virginia

B.A pulled the van up to the waiting plane and the team quickly exited the vehicle. Frankie made his way around the back of the van and opened the doors, handing bags out to the men as they walked up. Abels 4 and 20 were close by to take care of the van and weapons. They watched as two of the men deplaned to talk to B.A. as Hannibal stood behind the large man.

Hannibal waited until Face and Frankie were ready to catch B.A. and then he shot him with the tranq. gun previously provided by General Stockwell. Because of his fear of flying, B.A. didn't protest too much, knowing it was the best way to get back home. Though he'd never admit it, he preferred being shot with a tranq. dart over enduring a flight awake. Hannibal waited until the men were at the top of the stairs before he quickly jogged up them, carrying the last of the bags.

As he stepped into the cabin, Hannibal saw Murdock sitting next to Briana, quietly singing to her. He paused a moment next to the pair to get a good look at their temporary teammate, and was able to hear what Murdock was singing. He quietly sang "In My Life" while holding her left hand and gently stroking the back of it with his thumb.

Sensing a familiar presence, Murdock finished the song and looked up at his friend. "She likes the Beatles," he said.

"Who doesn't?" Hannibal said.

"Bree told me that when she's feelin' overwhelmed by the memories she listens to the Beatles an' it reminds her of her life before the CIA changed her."

Hannibal placed one of the bags on the floor and reached out to place a comforting hand on Murdock's shoulder. "She'll be back on her feet before you know it," he said.

Murdock nodded and returned his attention to his injured friend.

Once everyone was settled in their seats, the plane pulled away and down the runway. The flight back home seemed to take longer than the flight to Denmark. Murdock spent much of the flight nervously watching Briana, afraid she would take a turn for the worse during transit, while Hannibal, Frankie and Face played cards and napped.

When the aircraft finally touched down in Virginia, the men sat up in their seats, eager to unbuckle their seatbelts and stretch their tight muscles. After the plane came to a stop, Murdock stood and watched as the nurse and doctor wheeled Briana out of the cabin and off the plane. He walked to the door ready to follow the gurney but stopped when he saw the limousine parked next to the ambulance. He looked back and forth between the two - one would take him to the hospital with Bree and the other would take them back to the safe house. Which to choose….

The groan from behind him made Murdock come to his senses. B.A. was coming out of the drug-induced sleep and they all had endured a long flight. The men needed rest, Briana needed to be going to be settled into the hospital and the doctor and nurse would give her a complete check up. Sighing, Murdock stepped aside so his friends could exit the plane. He walked back to his seat and grabbed his army issue duffle bag from the overhead compartment.

Murdock passed his bag off to the driver and then slid in the back of the limo. After placing the bag in the luggage compartment, the chauffer closed the trunk and then walked around and slid behind the wheel and made his way to the safe house.

That night in Murdock's modest apartment, an empty pizza box sat on the coffee table, as he lounged on the couch nursing a bottle of beer. "Blood and Simple" was playing in the background as he stared off into nothingness. The images that plagued him in Denmark were clinging to his thoughts like foul smells to fabric. He closed his eyes and let the music take him away as it once did all those years ago in Vietnam.

Back at the safe house B.A. watched a wrestling match on TV while the rest of the team went out, all needing to take their minds off what happened on their recent mission.

The next day Murdock woke early and made his way to the hospital, eager to see his friend. When he arrived at the hospital Murdock and found Briana's parents talking to the doctor. He politely waited for the couple to finish their chat before approaching to find out if he and the rest of the team could go into visit Briana. When the doctor walked away, Murdock quickly walked up to the couple. "How's, uh, how's Bree?"

"She's doing well, they're going to let you and the team see her," Hunt replied.

"That's good," Murdock murmured. "Ah'll be in the waiting room," he added, turning to walk to the waiting room.

After they walked into Briana's room, Patricia and Hunt stood by her bed quietly speaking to her.

Later that morning Murdock walked into the room and sat down in the chair next to the bed. "You're home Bree," he said after a quick scan of the room. "You can relax now an' focus on gettin' better."


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Black Star  
>Author: Batwoman<br>Rating: T - Het

Timeline: Takes place after season 5, this is more of a 6th season episode.

Thanks to my beta, Periwinkle for your work!

Feed Back: always welcome. : ) Either onlist or email: aaaahbatwomanrun yahoo . com (no spaces)

Archived: , LJ

Disclaimer: I don't own Face, BA, Murdock, Hannibal, Stockwell, the Abels and anyone else I'm forgetting. I'm just playing with them and will put them back unscathed when I'm done.

Author's Notes: The idea for this fic came me to me one day while watching random season 5 episodes last year. I'm an original fan of the show and had only seen one or two episodes in recent years. Last year's movie sparked my curiosity to see if this was online and it was! So I started watching episodes on random order, mostly ones I remembered, didn't remember, etc. I don't know how many times I watched each episode before I finally started with the pilot and went in order. All while writing this fic. It is finished and I'll post it in parts not sure how often since this is a busy time for me at church. There are other stories in this universe but they are put on the back burner until further notice. Enjoy!

Description: The team is worried that the new woman General Stockwell brought in is there to be their new handler. Not all is as it seems with her, she's hiding secrets, along with Stockwell. What are her secrets and how do they affect the team?

Weeks later, on an early November Friday the air was crisp and the leaves on the trees were a multitude of colors. Murdock nervously paced the safe house's family room, anxious to see his friend. It had been two months since he had seen Briana last. He walked into the hospital one day to find her gone, transferred to another hospital with no forwarding information. Murdock sullenly turned on his heel and walked out of the hospital deciding not to look for her knowing Hunt would have hidden her well. Back at the safe house, Hannibal sat on the couch reading the newspaper while quietly keeping an eye on his friend.

Leaves littered the ground and crunched under the tires of Briana's convertible as she slowly drove up the long driveway to the safe house. She pulled to a stop by the front door and shut off the engine, pausing in the car to adjust the sling cradling her right arm, under her coat. Briana glanced down at the cast on her right arm and her eyes scanned the writing on it. She smiled at the smiley face Murdock had drawn under his name. She drew comfort from the words and signatures on the cast; it was good to have friends. Taking a sip of her coffee before steeling herself to face the team, Briana transferred her travel mug to her right hand and exited the car. She walked around the car to the passenger side and grabbed her briefcase, draping the strap over her left shoulder, not wanting to take any chances with her right arm as it was still healing in the cast.

Murdock paused mid-stride when he spotted Briana at the front door. He resisted the urge to leap over the couch to pull her into a bear hug. Murdock tried to give Briana time to get settled in before saying "hi" but he was unable to wait any longer. When she walked into the family room, he ran up to her pulling her into a big hug.

Briana grimaced against the bone-crushing hug, "Easy Murdock, I'm still sore," she said.

Murdock immediately let go of Briana and shot her a worried look, "Ah'm sorry," he said, pulling away.

"That's ok," she said trying to ease his concern. "I've missed you too," she quietly added.

Reaching for her bag, Murdock said, "Here, let me help you with that." He took the bag off Briana's shoulder and helped her to take her coat off, then he and followed her to the study. A "welcome back" sign hung on the wall behind the desk and Briana smiled at the sign. Murdock walked around the desk and placed her bag on the desk and draped her jacket across the back of her chair. Briana spotted the large gift box on the desk and placed her mug next to it. "What's this?" She asked.

Smiling Murdock replied, "A little somethin' from me to you."

"Thank you," she murmured. Briana quickly scanned the package and found that she could remove the top without tearing the brightly colored paper or ribbon off. She reached for the lid trying her best to remove it with one hand.

Murdock watched her closely and seeing her struggle, rushed over to lend a hand. "Here, let me help."

Briana peered into the large box once the top was off and found a stuffed brown teddy bear and a fuzzy white kitten with blue eyes with light brown coloring on its head, paws and tail, looking back at her. Tears welled in her eyes as she reached down to the furball. She carefully picked up the kitten with one hand and lifted it out of the box. The kitten immediately went limp in her hand and Briana shot Murdock a worried look. "I think something's wrong with it."

Smiling Murdock said, "Nah, that's normal. She's a Ragdoll." He reached out to run a finger across the kitten's soft furry head. "They go limp when you pick them up. When you were in the hospital Ah remembered you once sayin' how wanted to get a cat an' so Ah thought Ah'd get one for you. Ah researched the different breeds lookin' for one that would be good for you. She's housebroken an' everthin'."

Briana transferred the kitten to her right arm, placing the little furball on her cast, cradled by the sling. "Thank you," she murmured, wrapping her left arm around him, giving Murdock a hug.

He wrapped his arms around Briana and gently returned her hug. "You're welcome, Bree," he said, holding her close.

As she breathed in the scent of the leather jacket, her memories of their kiss in Denmark came flooding back. She remembered the smell of his jacket as she put it on to distract their tail, that distinct mix of worn leather and aftershave. Relaxing in his embrace as she breathed in Murdock's scent, Briana felt like she was home. "Where's everyone else?" Briana asked.

"Right here," Hannibal said, entering the study.

"We ah wanted to give you some time to get settled in before coming in to see you," Face added. Frankie and B.A. followed the others into the room, standing close to Briana and Murdock.

"Thank you." The little fuzz ball popped up above the sling to see who had come to play with her. "Did you see what Murdock gave me?"

Smiling, Face replied, "Yeah we've seen her." He reached out to give the playful kitten a scratch under her chin.

"You look tired, when did you get back?" Hannibal asked.

"Yesterday," Briana replied still in Murdock's embrace. "I had dinner with my parents and spent some time with them."

"Bree! You didn't have to come in today, you should have stayed home," Murdock said.

Briana looked up at her friend and said, "The best thing I can do is to keep busy, to take my mind off of things. Besides I'm only here for half the day. I wanted to pick up some things so I can work from home."

"Take it easy, you need to rest," Hannibal said.

"I will," she murmured.

"Good," Hannibal said. "We'll let you get to work then. Will you have lunch with us?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Come on guys," Hannibal said, as he turned to walk out of the room.

Murdock stayed with Briana as the rest of the men followed their leader out of the room. Briana led Murdock to the couch where they sat down. The kitten bounded out of the sling and began to climb up Briana's top. "What's her name?" she asked.

"Ah didn't name her."

Briana smiled and looked down at the fuzz ball, "So what am I going to call you," she said. The kitten looked up at Briana and meowed as she continued on to her quest of trying to climb her new owner. "Where are you going, monkey?" Briana asked as she reached down to place the kitten back on her lap.

"Ah have everythin' you need for her, she was stayin' at my apartment for the past couple weeks."

"Thank you."

"Ah'll come over and help you get her settled. Oh and I talked to the guys and they said you could bring her over when you're here."

"I noticed you didn't mention my dad," Briana teased.

Murdock watched as his friend played with her new kitten, smiling for the first time in weeks. At least it had been several weeks since he'd last seen her smile; it was the day before their trip to Denmark to be precise. Thinking about that mission, Murdock was reminded of something he wanted to ask her. "Bree?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember anythin' anybody said to you when you were in the coma?"

Looking up at Murdock, Briana replied, "No, why do you ask?"

"Well the nurse in Denmark said people in comas could hear when we talk to them."

"I'm sorry, I don't remember. But that could be because of the reprogramming mucking up my memories."

"But I thought you said you remembered everythin' from your time as a Black Star."

"I do but if what the nurse said is true, then it's possible whatever goes on during my reprogramming is what's causing the problem. Why, what did you say to me?"

"Nothin' really," he shrugged. "I was just talkin'."

"Why do I get the feeling you're underplaying this?"

"OK, OK, I was thinkin' about goin' out on a date. Ah don't know if you'd want to wait until later."

"Or?" she smiled, hopefully.

"Or we could do somethin' before that."

"Like what?"

"Ah was thinkin' you might be tired and not want to go out. Ah could bring a pizza an' a movie or somethin' an' we could stay in."

Smiling she said, "That sounds so nice. I am tired but a night in with my friend sounds nice."

Murdock returned her smile, "That's great! When do you want to get together?"

"Tonight sounds good."

Murdock's smile faded and he said, "Are you sure?"

"Positive! After everything I've been through, I need help taking my mind off of it. Plus I miss my friend. You can ride home with me and then borrow my car to pick anything up that you'll need for tonight."

"OK then, it's a date! An' Ah know just the movie that will cheer you up."

Briana smiled, happy to hear she'll have something to take her mind off the nightmares that had begun to plague her a few days after waking up from the coma. "Sounds great! Now I want to get some work done before lunch. Do you have her litter box? I want to keep her in here until she's bigger. We can pick up another litter box and bag of litter on the way home." She let out a yawn and smiled apologetically.

"How'd you sleep last night?" Murdock asked. Briana quirked an eyebrow in a silent question. "You can talk to me, remember?"

"I didn't sleep so good," she confessed after a moment.

"Nightmares?"

Briana merely nodded in response. "It makes no sense. The nightmares aren't from this mission, but my last one with the CIA."

"Nightmares are just the way our brains deal with stress."

"I know but why the suicide mission?"

"Have you ever talked to anyone about it before?"

"You mean a psychiatrist?" At Murdock's nod, Briana continued, "Yes."

"How long?"

"I know you of all people will understand why I went." She took a deep breath, needing to gather her thoughts. This was something she never talked to anyone about before. Not even her mother knew about the months after she escaped the CIA, only her father knew. "After I left the CIA and after I was reprogrammed, I started going. I went almost daily for months then I went weekly for about the first year I was out. I tried going to college after that and had switched to seeing my psychiatrist monthly at first. But I quickly found I couldn't be in that kind of setting, my anxiety went up and I went back to seeing my psychiatrist weekly. He felt it was too soon for me to try to go back to school."

"Ah didn't know you had anxiety problems."

"I don't, well normally I don't, but after being locked up in some CIA hole for a few years, enduring what they put us through, being home-schooled, then everything else. I had problems adjusting to being around big crowds at first. My psychiatrist was the one that suggested I take the job at the paper to help with my adjustment back to the real world."

"As hard as it was working seven days a week for several months in a row, it helped me get assimilated back into civilian life. And now I'm here," she said, smiling.

"Well Ah'm glad you're here. Ah'm gonna get goin' an' let you get to work."

"Thank you," she said. Briana picked up the kitten and placed the fuzz ball on her right arm, before pushing herself up from the couch. Walking to the desk, she looked around for a good place to put the kitten on the floor. Spotting the box, she placed it on the floor next to her chair and placed the kitten inside, so that the kitten wouldn't wander off to explore the house. Briana was afraid the small kitten would either wedge herself in a tight spot or wander out of the house.

Briana sank down in her chair and scanned her desk; she had work to do but didn't know where to start. Feeling a little overwhelmed, Briana took a deep cleansing breath and glanced down at the box next to her chair. She smiled as the kitten played with the stuffed animal in the box. Smiling at the goofy kitten, Briana turned her attention back to her desk and reached for the pile of papers in her in box.

Later that morning Briana stretched out on the couch in the family room in need of a nap. Hannibal had been walking to the kitchen to check on lunch when he heard Briana quietly talking in her sleep. "Get off of me," she repeatedly said.

Concerned about his friend, Hannibal sat on the couch and placed a hand on her left shoulder. Giving it a gentle shake he said, "Bree, wake up."

Without warning, Briana grabbed Hannibal's arm and opened her eyes. She blinked several times to clear her head and quickly let go of the older man's arm, offering an apology.

"Who were you talking to?" Hannibal asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"You were saying 'get off of me'."

"I was?" Hannibal nodded. She sighed as she sat up; she wasn't planning on telling the others that she was raped. But now that Hannibal had heard her talking in her sleep, Briana felt that she had no choice but to tell him. "Get the others."

"Why?"

"If I'm going to tell you, I might as well tell everyone."

"Are you sure, kid?"

"No, but they're bound to find out sooner or later. I'd rather they hear it from me than from someone else."

Murdock was walking to the study carrying the kitten's water bowl when he overheard the back end of the conversation. "Ah'll be right back," he said.

Hannibal walked around the house, gathering up the troops. He briefly stopped in the kitchen to check on lunch. Not wanting it to burn, he turned the oven and burners off.

Murdock sat down onto the couch to Briana's left. "What's goin' on?" he asked.

"I'm going to tell them about my last mission with the CIA." Murdock snaked his arm around her and drew Briana to him. Briana rested her head on Murdock's shoulder and watched as the men came into the room, each either standing by the couch, or taking a seat on the large L-shaped couch. Hannibal stood across from Briana and waited until she was ready to talk.

Briana closed her eyes as she steeled herself to tell the former soldiers about her last mission with the CIA. "My last mission as a Black Star was a suicide mission. The details aren't important. Well _most_ of the details aren't important. There is one thing that happened..." Briana opened her eyes as she lifted her head up and looked at Murdock. He took her left hand in his and looked at her as she spoke. "I... I... I was raped," she finally said. She knew it was going to be hard enough to tell the others so she never took her eyes off Murdock as she spoke.

B.A. sat on the edge of the couch and demanded, "Who did that to you?" He balled his right hand and slammed the fist into the palm of his left hand.

"The men responsible are all dead, my rescuers saw to that," Briana said, finally turning to face her friends.

"You didn't have to tell us, Bree," Face said, sympathetically. "Why are you telling us?"

"Because I overheard her talking in her sleep," Hannibal replied.

Face thought it over and realized Briana must have said something to lead Hannibal to question her about it. "Oh, sorry," Face murmured.

"So, uh, does this mean you have a kid?" Frankie asked.

"Frankie," Murdock said, annoyed as he glared at the stray of the group.

"Sorree," Frankie said.

Squeezing Murdock's hand, Briana said, "That's all right. "No, I was tortured and in bad shape when they rescued me so even if I had been pregnant, the baby wouldn't have survived. But no one ever told me if I was or wasn't."

"You mean the doctor never told you?" Murdock asked.

"I'm sure my dad knows but I really don't want to know. Remember, my memories are intact; I don't want to know if the rape resulted in a pregnancy. Besides like I said, I was in too bad of a shape for the fetus to survive."

Murdock noticed Briana's sudden change, referring to the baby as a fetus. She was withdrawing, he noted, and decided to drop the subject.

Hannibal had been quietly listening to Briana as she explained what happened. Something Murdock said struck a chord with him, General Stockwell keeping information from his daughter. Suddenly something Briana told Hannibal months ago came back to him. "Briana," Hannibal said, gaining her attention. "You told me that the committee was considering forming a group of assassins. How do you know your dad wasn't lying to you about that?"

"Because I was there. After the initial talks of forming a black ops group of assassins, which in other words, means recreating the Black Stars, my dad stepped in and brought me along to the next meeting. I was still recovering from the torture and my dad wanted them to see the stitches and scars and learn what happened to us."

"What scars," Hannibal asked.

"My captors had carved up my face like a turkey."

"Ah've seen you without makeup an' Ah didn't see any scars," Murdock said.

"Murdock," Face said, his voice rising in admiration.

"Zip it, Face," Murdock shot back in annoyance. "Ah saw her without makeup when Ah gave her a cup of coffee the day we met."

"I had to wait for the wounds to heal before I had plastic surgery to remove the scars. Check behind my ears, you'll find scars from the surgery."

Hannibal turned to Murdock and gave him a questioning look. Murdock nodded and pulled his right arm back and brushed her hair aside to look behind her ear. Sighing he closed his eyes and leaned his head forward, resting it on hers.

"Murdock," Hannibal asked at the other man's silence.

"Yeah?" Murdock finally said.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Hannibal asked.

"Because I don't like talking about it."

Hannibal walked to the couch and sat down next to Briana, on her right. "Briana, you can talk to us about what happened to you," he said.

"I know - it's just hard to talk about it. I'm not used to having friends so aside from my psychiatrist; my dad is the only person I've talked to about my last mission. Frankie aside, I know you guys have been through the same things I've been through. "

"Bree," Hannibal said, softening his voice, "Don't be afraid to talk to us, we won't judge you."

"OK," she murmured.

Deciding he had heard enough, Hannibal said, "Let's eat before the food gets cold."

The men filed out, making their way to the kitchen to load their plates with food. Murdock paused long enough to tell Briana he would get a plate of food for her. She thanked him and stood from the couch, making her way to the dining room table.

She pulled a chair out on the side and moved around to stand next to the table. Reaching for the glass with her left hand, she placed it in her right hand, holding it while she grabbed the pitcher of water. "Here, let me help," Face said, upon seeing her trying to fill her glass.

"That's OK, I've done this before," she said, giving him a small smile. When she finished she held the pitcher up and asked, "Do you want some?"

"Yeah sure," he said, holding out a glass from across the table.

Briana reached across the table and easily filled Face's glass with water, then placed the pitcher back on the table. She took the glass from her right hand and took a sip before sitting back down. Just as Briana placed the glass back on the table, Murdock appeared carrying two plates of food. He placed one in front of Briana and then plunked his plate down before pulling the chair out from under the table, to her left.

"Thank you," Briana said, as Murdock placed the plate in front of her. After draping the napkin across her lap, Briana placed the fork in her right hand and took the knife with her left.

Upon seeing Briana set about cutting her steak, Murdock jumped up and said, "Ah'll do that."

"That's ok, I can do it myself."

"Bree, it's OK to let people help you," he quietly said.

Briana looked up at Murdock, struggling with what he said. As a Black Star she was used to being independent and cutting her own food, even with one arm in a cast. Looking into his puppy dog eyes Briana knew the big-hearted man just wanted to help his friend out. Closing her eyes, she placed her knife down and sat back in her chair, allowing him to do cut her food into bite sized pieces.

When he finished, Murdock sat down and began on his own plate, cutting the steak as he ate. Briana speared a piece of meat and placed it in her mouth. She savored the taste, forgetting how good Hannibal's cooking was. "Delicious," she said. Briana had become used to the bland hospital food and the food she was served during reprogramming. She was starting to forget what good food tasted like. Briana had even missed her parents' cook's food.

"Thank you," Hannibal said in between bites.

The conversation during the meal was light, no mention of their Denmark mission, the CIA or Briana's injuries. Instead they talked about their plans for the upcoming holidays as well as reminisced about past holidays. When they finished their meal, Briana placed her silverware onto her plate and prepared to stand. Reaching for the plate, Murdock said, "Ah'll take that."

"I could do it myself if I didn't have a kitten trying to climb my leg." Briana scooted her chair back to look down. "Murdock," she said reaching for the kitten, "did you close the door after you put her water dish in the office?"

"Yeah, Ah did. Ah don't know how she got out."

"That's because she's a monkey, looks like we have to keep a close eye on her when she's here." Briana placed the kitten on her lap and gave the furball lots of belly rubs.

"I hope you didn't fill up, we have dessert," Face said as he gathered his plate and silverware.

"You didn't have to do that," Briana said.

"Nonsense!" Face waved. "You deserve it," he smiled.

Briana smiled shyly at her friend; she really liked having friends. As she continued to play with the kitten on her lap, Briana wondered what kind of dessert they had. Murdock reappeared after a moment with a rather large slice of tiramisu on a dessert plate, and two forks. Briana began salivating as soon as she saw the sweet treat. She couldn't think of the last time she had tiramisu.

Placing the plate on the table, Murdock passed a fork to Briana as he sat down. She accepted the utensil with a smile and slid it through the decadent dessert. Briana placed the fork in her mouth and closed her lips around it, as she slid the fork out. She closed her eyes as she savored the taste in her mouth as she slowly chewed it; the dessert had a perfect balance of coffee and liquor. A moan escaped her lips as she swallowed, quickly reaching for another piece.

"I think we should leave her alone. I'd be worried if I were you Murdock," Face teased.

Smiling, Briana glanced at Face and said, "I haven't had tiramisu this good since I was in Italy. Where did you get it?"

"Carlo's Bakery," he replied.

"You have to give me the address," she said as she placed another piece in her mouth.

Face reached into the breast pocket of his suit for his notepad and pen. He quickly scribbled the information down and tore off the paper, handing it across the table. "Here you go," he said.

"Thank you," she said as Murdock took the proffered slip of paper for her. The kitten placed her front paws on the edge of the table and popped her head up above the table to see what was up there.

Murdock spotted the kitten and reached over to grab the kitten, "Where do you think you're goin' young lady?" he asked, placing the kitten on his lap.

"I told you she's a monkey," Briana said, smiling. "I like the sound of that. Monkey."

"Ah like it," Murdock said, as he played with the kitten one handed, allowing him to use the other hand to eat his dessert.

After they finished dessert, Briana offered to take their plate and silverware to the kitchen while Murdock loaded the kitten into her carrying case to go home. Walking into the study, Murdock found Briana loading her briefcase with paperwork. "Need help?" he asked, approaching the desk.

Looking up, Briana smiled at her friend and said, "Yes, could you help me with my coat?"

"Sure," Murdock said, quickly making his way around the desk. He lifted the jacket from the back of the chair and held it for Briana to step into it.

She threaded her left arm into the jacket then swirled around for Murdock to drape the jacket on her right shoulder. When she was facing him, Murdock bunched the jacket closed and buttoned the top three buttons. "Thank you," she said, looking up at him.

The pair stood, their eyes locked both wanting to kiss the other but neither one made a move. "Do you mind driving?" Briana finally asked.

"Ah... Ah don't mind," Murdock replied.

Reaching into her coat pocket, Briana grabbed her keys and pulled her hand out. She broke eye contact for a moment to look down at his hand and placed the keys in it. Murdock closed his hand around hers and held it. He reached up with his left hand and lifted her chin to face him. Taking a chance, Murdock leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss.

Briana closed her eyes as she returned his tender kiss, relishing the feelings and emotions it invoked.

"Bree, here take the rest of the Tiramisu wi..." Face said walking into the room. He stopped when he looked up and saw the couple embraced in a kiss. "Oh, ah sorry," he said.

Breaking apart, Briana turned around and said, "Sorry, what did you say?"

Face gave her a dazzling smile, enjoying the fact that he walked in on his friends. "I was just saying you should take the tiramisu home, we're probably going to go out of town soon and I don't want this to go to waste."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Think of it as a welcome back gift, from me to you."

She walked over to Face and placed a kiss on his cheek, "Thank you," she said, taking the box by the string. Briana turned and walked back to the desk, placing the box on top of it so she could grab her briefcase.

Murdock draped the briefcase strap along her shoulder and handed her the box. She smiled at him and turned to walk out of the room. Murdock was close behind, saying his goodbyes to Face as he walked past.

"Have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Face said.

Murdock merely shook his head as he continued to walk out of the house, pausing to pick up the cat carrier. Once everything was loaded into the car, the couple got in. Murdock drove to Briana's apartment building, making a quick stop at the pet shop to pick up necessities for the kitten.

Arriving at Briana's apartment, Murdock unloaded the car while Briana placed the dessert in the refrigerator. When he walked in with the last load, Murdock closed and locked the door behind him. "Bree, where do you want to put the litter box?"

"Kitchen is fine."

Murdock grabbed the litter box and the bag containing the rest of the items and carried them into the kitchen. He placed the box on the floor near the entrance into the kitchen and poured some little in it. Murdock then set about giving the cat's food and water dishes a quick rinse before placing them on the floor a couple feet away from the liter box. When he finished in the kitchen, Murdock walked out to the living room and opened the cat carrier, picking up the kitten and carrying her to the kitchen. He placed her in the litter box, to show her where it was, then walked back into the living room. "Where do you want the carrier?" 

"Hall closet is fine," Briana replied from her spot on the couch.

When he finished, Murdock walked to the couch and sat down on Briana's right, draping his arm around her shoulders. Briana leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder. She sighed contentedly as they both watched the kitten explore her new home. "Murdock, there's something you should know," Briana said after a few minutes.

"What's that?"

"I've, ah, never been on a date before. Well, not a real date, that is."

"You mean to tell me a beautiful woman like you has never been on a date before? Ah find that hard to believe."

"Well, the CIA had me under lock and key for years and then when they let us out, we were emotionless, cold hearted killers. I didn't exactly have a chance to date before."

"But what about when you were workin' at the paper?"

"I was too busy finding out who I was to date."

"And now?"

Briana lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at Murdock. "And now I know who I am and I'm looking forward to spending more time with you."

Murdock smiled at her; being with Bree felt right. As much as he and Kelly had cared about each other, she could never understand who Murdock was or what he'd been through. It was different with Bree though; she had been through similar things that he had. ''You know, Ah can't believe Frankie asked you if you have any kids."

"It was tacky but you can't tell me there wasn't a part of you, deep down, that wasn't wondering the same thing."

"Naw because Ah know you, an' Ah know you'd never hide somethin' like that from your friend."

"But I didn't tell you about being a Black Star."

"Yeah but a kid ain't somethin' you keep secret like bein' in the CIA."

"Even if I gave it up for adoption?"

"Ah'd have known."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, Ah'd have seen it in your eyes."

"And what would you have seen?"

"The same longin' Ah've seen in Face's eyes when he looks at a happy family an' he thinks no one is lookin'."

"If you don't see longing, then what do you see?"

"Ah see kindness, carin', someone that likes to have fun," he placed his left hand on her cheek and continued, "a beautiful woman that's been through a lot who has a cute kitten that's climbin' up my leg." He looked down at the kitten and said, "Hey! I ain't a cat tree."

Briana laughed as she glanced down to see the kitten on Murdock's knee. The furball looked up and meowed in triumph of conquering the mountain that was Murdock's leg. "So tell me something, what movie are we going to watch?"

"A Christmas Story."

"Never heard of it." 

"Well Ah guarantee you, you'll enjoy it."

"OK then, what about dinner?"

"Are you hungry already?"

"No, but if you're going to cook, I was thinking you might need time to prepare. Like go shopping since I don't have any perishables in the house."

"Well then, since you put it that way. Ah guess Ah'll go shoppin' then."

"And I'll stay here and keep Monkey out of trouble," she said, picking up the kitten in her left hand.

Murdock gave her a quick peck on the cheek before rising from the couch and leaving to run his errands. While he was gone, Briana sat down on the floor and pulled out the kitten's toys and began to play with her, hoping to wind the kitten down so the furball would take a nap and not get in any more mischief for a while.

When Murdock returned, he found Briana lounging on the couch reading a book with the kitten curled up in a ball, snoozing on Bree. He placed the perishables on the counter and prepared a marinade for the chicken. Once he was finished with everything, Murdock placed the chicken in the refrigerator and cleaned up the kitchen then sank down on the couch. The couple spent the rest of the afternoon talking and enjoying each other's company. After dinner Murdock shooed Briana out of the kitchen, insisting on cleaning up while she sat down at the dining room table and chatted with him.

Fighting back a yawn, Briana decided to change into her pajamas while Murdock finished up in the kitchen. When he finished, Murdock sat on the couch patiently waiting for Bree. Murdock was about to put the movie in the VCR when Briana came out and told him to come into her bedroom to watch it in there. She insisted it would be more comfortable to lounge on the bed and watch, then the couch.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive! We can curl up under the covers too, to stay warm. Plus I'm starting to feel tired so on the off chance I fall asleep, I'll already be in bed." 

"An' just what am Ah supposed to do if you fall asleep?"

"You can spend the night," she smiled at him.

"In that case, Ah'll go make popcorn," he said, giving her a big grin.

While Murdock made the popcorn, Briana took the movie into her bedroom and turned on both the television and VCR, putting the tape in and setting the TV to the video setting. With remotes in hand, she turned and walked to the bed, placing them on the nightstand next to the phone. Throwing the comforter aside, she hopped onto the spacious bed and slid across the mattress, leaving room for Murdock to slide in next to her.

A few minutes later Murdock walked into the bedroom carrying a tray laden with a big bowl of popcorn, two glasses of water and a few napkins. He had hung his jacket in the hall closet while the popcorn was popping, and made sure the front door was locked. He turned the lights off in the apartment as he padded to the bedroom. In the months that they had known each other and had spent time together as friends, this was the first time he had seen her bedroom. He found a queen sized bed with an elaborately carved cherry wood four-poster headboard and footboard with a maroon comforter. There was a beautiful antique dresser along the one wall while a big armoire stood against another wall. Inside the armoire was the television and VCR.

"Very nice," he said as he placed the tray on the bed, close to Bree.

"Thank you," she murmured.

He sat on the edge of the bed and untied his high tops, pulling them off and leaving them at the foot of the bed. "If you want to change into a pair of sweatpants, I have a pair you can borrow."

"That's OK, Ah'm tryin' to cut back on cross-dressin'."

Briana smiled and said, "They were Danny's, and they'll fit you. Actually they might be a little big."

Murdock thought it over a moment as he glanced back and forth between the bed and his pants. "They're in the closet, gray pair," Briana said.

"Yeah, Ah think Ah'll do that," he nodded as he stood from the bed. He walked to the other side of the room and opened the closet door, looking around for the gray sweat pants. Finding them in a pile of folded clothes on the floor, he reached down and picked them up. Despite the offer to spend the night, Murdock didn't feel comfortable changing in front of Bree. He carried the pants to the hall bathroom and quickly changed. Walking back into the room, he placed his folded slacks over the footboard of the bed, before sliding under the covers.

Briana pointed out the remote controls next to him and he quickly picked the one up for the VCR and pushed 'play', before he fluffed the pillow behind his back. He reached for the glass and napkins and placed them on the nightstand next to him, then picked up the bowl and placed the tray on the floor, out of the way so as not to trip over it later. Briana had placed her glass on the nightstand to her left earlier and began to nibble on the popcorn. Briana snuggled close as they watched the movie, sharing the snack Murdock made for them.

The phone rang early the next morning waking Briana. She groaned and blindly groped for phone only to be met by Murdock's sleeping form. Pushing herself up, she rested her right arm on his chest to get a better reach for the phone. "Yeah," she wearily croaked, once she put the phone to her ear. She listened a moment before saying, "Hold on." Briana put the receiver down on the bed, muffling the sounds as she nudged Murdock with her left hand, telling him to he had a phone call. "It's Hannibal." Too tired to crawl back to her side of the bed, Briana simply rested her head on Murdock's chest, drawing comfort from his presence.

Murdock groaned as he reached for the phone, refusing to look at his watch to find out what time it was. "Yeah," he groggily said. After a moment of silence he spoke again, "Ah'll meet you at the house."

"Just meet them at the plane, it'll be faster," Briana said.

"Never mind, Ah'll meet you at the plane," he said, saying his goodbyes. Instead of hanging up the phone, Murdock gave it to Briana, saying her father wanted to talk to her.

"Yeah?" she said.

"Rough night?" Hunt asked.

"I don't want to talk about it now, too tired," she mumbled.

"Well then why don't we talk about it later, say over lunch?"

"OK, bring my car; I'm letting Murdock borrow it."

Murdock cracked an eye open and looked down at her, he wanted to protest her generosity but was too tired. "See you then, bye." Briana attempted to hang up the phone but couldn't muster the strength to reach for the nightstand.

Murdock took the phone out of her hand and hung it up for her. He snaked his arms around her and forced his eyes to open, fighting the urge to just stay in bed and fall back asleep. "Bree, Ah don't want to take your car, you need it."

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't have to be anywhere today; my dad will pick me up for lunch. Besides, it'll be faster for you to drive my car, you can go home and pack your bag and then meet the team at the plane."

Having heard voices, Monkey jumped onto the bed and began to climb over the bumps and hills in the comforter until she reached the mountain. She climbed onto Murdock's chest and began to walk back and forth, snuggling up to him and purring. "You'd better go before you fall back asleep," Briana said.

Murdock took a deep breath as he finally managed to pry his eyelids open. He looked down at the kitten and smiled, giving her a quick scratch behind her ear. "Bree, you're gonna have to move so Ah can get up," he said.

"Uh huh," came the response.

Murdock could tell Briana was on the verge of falling back asleep. Not wanting to disturb her, he placed the kitten on the bed and carefully moved Briana back to her pillow. Once she was settled in he picked up the kitten and said, "Ah'll feed the furball." Murdock had taken their bowl, glasses and tray to the kitchen last night before he went to sleep.

Slipping out of bed, Murdock gathered the kitten and made his way out of the room. Once he was in the kitchen, he placed her on the floor and began to fill her dishes with food and water. Monkey chattered away as he worked, and snuggled up to his legs, rubbing herself along them. As soon as she saw the food, the kitten stopped her affections and began to fill her empty stomach.

Murdock padded to the bathroom and took care of things, including running a brush through his unruly hair and rinsing his mouth out with mouthwash. When finished, he went back to the bathroom and changed into his pants. He carefully sat on the bed as he tied his shoes. When he was all finished, Murdock leaned over the bed and placed a kiss on Briana's forehead, whispering goodbye.

"Lock the keys in the car, my dad has a spare set," she said.

"Ah didn't mean to wake you," Murdock said, sitting on the bed.

"You didn't."

"Oh well, Ah'll call you when we get back," he said, standing from the bed.

"Murdock," Briana said, catching his attention.

"Yeah?"

"Be careful."

"Ah will," he smiled. Murdock walked through the apartment with a spring in his step. Somehow comforting Briana last night when she woke from nightmares felt good to him. He had been there himself and knew exactly what she was going through. Yes, he told himself, this definitely felt right. He slid his arms into his jacket sleeves and grabbed the keys off the kitchen counter. Walking back to the door, Murdock locked it behind him before walking down the hall and out of the building.


End file.
